False Gods
by WaylonTFD
Summary: Five hundred years after the events of The Fourth Driver and Xenoblade Chronicles 2, the world that has been built has endured and flourished. Technology has never been so advanced and life has never been easier. Truths have become legends and legends have become myths, but what has really become of this world of beauty? What threats could there possibly be? Enter False Gods.
1. Chapter I

Book I:

The Nation of Alrest

Chapter I

Want some musical accompaniment to enrich your reading experiences? Copy and Paste the links provided and play the music while you read!

https/youtu.be/0pSxFohBmis

An entire horizon of blue, an endless ocean that extended past what anyone could see. At its heart, a bountiful continent full of life, love, and hope. This was the world that we called home. According to the history taught by Granny, this beautiful world was the culmination of years of strife. Whereas once the world was running out of land and doomed to fail, now for the past five hundred years has harbored every tool we've ever needed to succeed. The name of this paradise was called Elysium, a land to which my forefathers fought and died for. Outside this continent, a small archipelago called Leftheria rested peacefully on the water, and stood apart from the land that we shared as our home. While true, any of us could leave if we truly wanted to, but life here in Fonsett was simply, easy. Who would ever want to live anywhere else? I lay in my bed, staring out the window at the ocean. I felt conflicted, I wanted to just jump in and see all of what the world had to offer, but at the same time, I only wanted to stay here and rest. It was all so... calming. The waves crashing against the beach, the small sea birds cackling through the breeze, why did I want to leave, and why wouldn't I try to? "I could be so much more," I thought to myself, but I didn't have any real desire to change that.

Immediately I heard some pounding footsteps up the stairs as my door flew open.

"Silas get the hell up!" an old Gormotti woman yelled in her Welsh accent.

The Gormotti were an interesting people. They were a race of humans with ears similar to that of a cat on the top of their head and have extendable claws. They weren't really native to Leftheria, but she had always stayed here as far as I could remember. What weirded me out was that they still had normal ears on the sides of their heads so it made me wonder if the cat ears were ears at all...

She pulled back the covers and yanked me off the bed, while I was in my underwear no less.

"If you lay in 'ere all day again I'm going to lose it, you 'ear me? Get your lazy arse up and go haul back the lumber like I asked you to three days ago!" she yelled.

"I'm sorry Granny! I forgot, really!" I said in defense.

"Forgot?!" Granny asked. "Boy, are you thick? What do I 'ave to do to get it through that 'ead of yours that you've got responsibilities! Ignoring them ain't going to make it any easier," she said, storming out. "And for the Architect's sake put some clothes on! There ain't no one on Alrest who'd wanna see you in your undies!"

I drowsily got off of the floor before she called through the hall again.

"You got dishes too, that's for making me wait so long!"

"Yes Granny...," I responded, swallowing any pride I had left.

I got dressed and brushed my teeth. I put on a plain grey t-shirt and blue jeans with my brown work boots and a black belt. I stopped to look in the mirror. My short, brown hair was messy, but managed, my unnaturally teal eyes shifted around as I looked at my pale, white skin and skinny, yet semi-athletic body. After acknowledging that I didn't look like complete crap, I then proceeded to walk down stairs to meet her, she had made breakfast.

"Oh would you look at that! Up in time for breakfast," she snickered.

I laughed nervously before making us glasses of hot orange juice. After I had finished, I placed the cups down and sat across from her.

She took a drink of the juice before commenting on it. "The hot oranges taste much better than last years, what'd we do differently?"

"I think Azurda sent us some manure that really helped," I answered. Although I wondered who decided that this fruit should be named "hot", as it was neither spicy nor warm, maybe for irony's sake?

"Ah, you're right. All that titan poop really helps, don't it?" she laughed.

"Gross Granny, not while I'm eating," I laughed.

"I kid!" she laughed back.

"When will I meet Azurda? You talk about him pretty frequently," I inquired.

"He'll come around one day, I'm sure," Granny answered.

We then sat down and enjoyed our meal of rhogul eggs and kapiba sausage. Rhoguls were rather large birds of prey that also happened to be easily domesticated. Kapiba resembled large rats, except with much thicker fur and skin. They were both common monsters in Leftheria.

After we finished I grudgingly, although I dared not complain, washed the dishes and put them away.

"Brown boots and a black belt? What're you five?" Granny chided.

"You haven't bought me a brown belt, remember?" I snapped back.

"You're twenty years old, get a job and buy you're own belt! Don't you know Rex's story? He—"

"I know, I know," I said, slightly irritated. "He was a salvager at about fifteen, but I don't know what I'm supposed to do! There are so many options and I'm not sure I'm good for any of them!"

She hugged me sympathetically, I rested my head on her shoulder.

"You know I only want the best for you, yeah?"

"I know..."

"Rex didn't know what he was supposed to do either, but he lived his life one day at a time, and that's all I'm asking you to do. Go out, find a job, find a pretty lass," she laughed.

I laughed. "No girl would want some lazy scrub like me."

She let go. "Yeah I wouldn't either, but I'm sure there's someone out there," she teased.

"Jeez, thanks for the boost of confidence."

She laughed. "Now go take care of the lumber. And if you see any pretty girls out there be sure to not tell them you're a slob."

"Alright, alright!" I laughed, heading out the door.

https/youtu.be/lZJK_tOXcJE

I went out the back and looked at the lumber, it was piled up well over my head and I knew it was going to take a while. I went to the shed in the back and grabbed my double-edged one-and-half-hand sword and my ether pistol.

Ether's an interesting material, it exists in both liquid and crystalline states. It was recently discovered in this crystalline form about two hundred years back, and the use for it was astronomical. The crystals each hold different elemental properties, when melted down, they could be turned into metal ether bullets and tools that could set things on fire, freeze others, produce auras that heal cuts, scrapes, and even poison, and so many others. I simply had dark-type ether bullets, which would inflict poison and major bleeding. I only used other elements in emergencies.

I then grabbed an axe, a shovel, and a saw and went to work. I cut down the pile into small pieces, shooting the small jet snakes that would appear. Nothing major attacked so I didn't have to worry about too much. That is... until I accidentally bumped a skeeter nest. Skeeters had fierce stingers and would drain their victims of their blood.

I quickly pulled my ether gun and changed out the clip to one that contained fire-type bullets. One shot and they bursted into flames. After about four hours of work I finally stacked up all the wood by Granny's house and had it all ready to go!

I went back in the house and laid down on the couch.

"Good job Silas, but you need to take a shower before you lay on all of my pillows. You'll be washing them yourself if you can't figure out how to get clean," Granny scolded.

"Right, my bad!" I apologized as I went and got clean. The warm water felt nice on my back, and soon enough I was done, dry, and had fresh clothes on. I realized I had not put my gun or sword away, I knew Granny got quite irritated when there were weapons in the house so I latched the sword to my right side, as I was a lefty, and my gun to the left.

As I walked down the stairs I heard a shriek. Panicked, I ran outside to find a large-looking monster outside, it'd cornered Granny.

I took one look at it, it had the face of a shark or an orca, and the body of a crocodile, I believe they were referred to as aligos.

I immediately knew my gun would be useless, as the armor on this monster would either catch or deflect the bullets, and I wasn't sure how well my sword would pierce it, but I wasn't going to stand and do nothing.

I pulled my gun and let loose three fire-type ether bullets right into its face, blinding and stunning it. I then ran up, unsheathing my sword, jumping, and planting it into the top of its head.

I didn't kill it, as the sword only pierced its skin. The aligo threw me off, breaking my sword off into its head, leaving me with a handle and half the blade. It ran off and down a cave near our village, Fonsett. I immediately ran after it.

"Silas stop, you'll just hurt yourself," Granny warned. "Besides, that cave is Spirit Crucible Elpys, and that's a place you don't need to ever go."

"I want to make sure it can't attack you again!" I argued.

She silenced me. "I'm can't stop you, but you're definitely going to need another sword before you tackle that thing."

I looked at mine. "Yeah... I guess you're right."

"I'll put in an order for a steel version, I've 'eard they're much more durable than the one I bought ya."

"How long will it take?" I asked.

"Well with that fancy railway station they installed across from Ysheva Harbor a few years back, I'm certain it'll be 'ere by tomorrow," she laughed. "Quite amazing the technology New Torna's produced in the last 'undred years."

New Torna, otherwise known as the Golden City, had been founded some four hundred and eighty years back. It was quickly realized that this city was built on top of gold, silver, jewels, and even more importantly, the largest ether mine the people of Alrest had ever seen. At first the people had no idea of its uses, but after experimenting with its potential, a nopon scientist and mechanic named Tora worked with his father, Dr. Tatazo and an unnamed third scientist who developed it into what it was today. I heard rumors of the technologies Torna had produced since then and anyone who'd ever visited Torna had either never come back to Fonsett or won't say anything past, "it's a once-in-a-lifetime experience".

"Here's the order and the necessary gold, since it's so useful to you, I'll go ahead and buy your fancy sword, but next one's on you, got it?" Granny clarified.

"Yes Granny, understood!"

"I also put in for a new gun and ammunition, that one's for me, so don't screw it up! Take it to the nopon at the Ysheva Railway Station and she'll set it up for ya. Don't forget to tell her it's for me."

"I'll be back in an hour or so," I informed before running ahead.

"Be safe...," she said quietly, knowing he couldn't hear her. She placed her hands over her chest, feeling the crystal that was embedded there.

After a long, uneventful walk, I made it to the train station and went to talk to Lutoluto.

Now the nopon were, like the Gormotti, another interesting race. They, however, weren't very humanoid at all, but kinda looked like a potato with little nubby arms and legs, which lacked fingers and toes. Attached to their head on either side, where you'd normally see ears on a person, were long, flat, arm-like appendages that we're fully prehensile, they worked as their true hands. They were small and fury, had weird, repetitive names, spoke in incomplete sentences, and usually didn't ever do anything for free.

"Hello Lutoluto! I have an order I'd like to place for Granny!"

"Silas! Oh it so good to see you! How is Nia?"

"Granny's doing great! On my case all the time, but that's more of my fault than anything."

"Silas should do more to help old Nia, she help everyone else!"

It's true, Nia was Granny's name, and she did help everyone. She's the one that raised me after a series of... unfortunate events and she also taught history at Fonsett Academy and had even lived through most of it.

Something did strike her as a bit off. Despite only looking about forty years old, the elderly townspeople, well over seventy, would comment on how Granny had helped them while they were children. Her hair was beige and her eyes were bronze. Despite her nickname, she honestly didn't look that old. Her hair was just above her shoulders and she always wore some type of weird orange jumpsuit that suited her too well, despite it being way out of fashion. I couldn't understand how she seemed to age so little throughout her life. However I felt it rude to pry, as she seemed to help everyone out, and that was honestly more than enough for me. It did not, however, stop me from asking other people.

"How old is Granny anyway? She never tells me!" I asked.

Lutoluto laughed. "Ah Silas, that a story for another day!"

"Alright, well, thanks and I'll see you later!"

"Bye bye, Silas! And be good to Nia!"

I watched the sun disappear into the sea as I walked back. I was definitely tired, and kind of hungry too. By the time I made it back, Granny had already made some ardun steak and meaty carrots on the side.

Ardun's were basically cow-sized triceratopses with weighted tails. They were usually gentle and easy to tame. Armus were female, arduns were male.

The dinner went on without much conversation and I couldn't wait to fall asleep.

"Go ahead and sleep in tomorrow Silas, you worked your arse off today, so give yourself a break," Granny advised.

"Thanks Granny, good night," I said before going to sleep.

Tomorrow would be a new day.

Readability Level: 11th-12th Grade

Time Taken: 4.5 Hours

Please do not use without permission. All artwork is not mine and credit goes to the artist.

Amazing book cover made by Hecoand at /p/hcv8l5


	2. Chapter II

Book I: The Nation of Alrest

Chapter II

"Do you really have to go?" Nia asked.

"Yes, unfortunately I am needed elsewhere, take care of this child, he's definitely a special little one," a deep, croaking voice spoke.

Nia looked up at the large, dragon-looking beast, who was large enough to build a house or two on.

"What's so special about this little guy anyway Azurda?" Nia asked, staring at the little baby boy.

"Take it from someone who's lived through Addam, Rex, and Waylon. This child has a destiny. Just look into his eyes!" Azurda responded.

Nia looked into the baby's eyes, they were a brilliant teal. She even recollected some memories just by looking at him.

"You do make a point...," she pondered.

"Something wrong?"

"It's just... I've begun aging Azurda. I'm scared at what future this might bring."

"Yes, the ether has been decreasing dramatically. It may have something to do with blade resonation happening more rarely, or maybe it has to do with New Torna's new technology. Yes, I believe the time for the Aegis to reawaken is coming near."

"But what's gonna happen to me?" Nia pressed.

"Nia, I have wandered this world for longer than you'd ever care to know, and you have wandered it for longer than any human could ever understand. Tell me, do you wish for forever?"

"No... but I—" Nia started to answer, but Azurda cut her off.

"Death is terrifying because it is something we cannot understand. It may not happen today, or tomorrow, but it is certain that it will happen. You will one day have to come to terms with that."

"I... don't think I can do that," she responded, her accent still strong.

"When the time comes, it will become easier," Azurda stated.

"You won't come back?"

"As a broken man once said, this is the road I must walk. I must know what happened to Rex, but I will try to meet once more, maybe when the young lad is a bit older. Have you decided what to name him?"

"Silas, I will name him Silas," Nia answered.

"Oh? And why is that?"

"It means "of the forest". That's where you found him, eh?"

"Indeed. It seems you have everything under control here. Fonsett is fortunate to have someone like you."

"I still don't understand why Waylon left me with all of this responsibility."

"Maybe he knew you'd be the only one who could handle it. He did seem to always know what to do next."

She nodded. Him and Rex both always knew what to do or where to go next. She wasn't ever like that though. Not her.

Azurda broke her thoughts. "How is Mythra by the way?"

"She's still sealed in Elpys, no one has even entered the place in years. I doubt anyone will."

"I am eager to see her next awakening," Azurda said excitedly.

"Every time she wakes up the world's in danger. Why would that excite you?" Nia questioned.

"Because it means I get to say hello once more."

I stood on a large grassy hill, in a place I hadn't seen before. The warm breeze that blew in my face somehow made me feel colder. As I looked around I only saw green fields, there was no signs of life anywhere, just me. The only thing I could see was a strange light, upon closer inspection I realized it was a little girl, but I couldn't quite make out her features. Pale skinned, but had black hair. Who was she? I went to approach her, but wasn't permitted to move.

I woke up and looked around, it had just been a weird dream...

"No more sugar before bed," I told myself as I got up and walked downstairs.

I looked around to see that the sun had only just come up.

"Up at six thirty in the morning, I must still be dreaming," Granny teased as she appeared from her room, still in her night gown and a weird baby blue night cap. She had worn it every night to bed, it was like an old jester's hat, but with two tops instead of three.

"I guess I didn't sleep well," I laughed nervously. That dream had felt too real...

"Something the matter, Silas?"

"I don't think so... Just a weird dream is all."

"Care to elaborate?" Granny laughed while grabbing her laundry out of the closet.

"I was in a big, grassy field on top of a hill, and across from me stood a small girl, black hair and black eyes. I tried to approach her, but I couldn't move and then I woke up."

"What was the strangest part about it?" she persisted.

"It felt so weird. Like something I needed was right in front of me, but yet I did nothing to grab it!"

"Well is that how you feel day-to-day?" Granny asked, seeing right through him.

"It is, but I still don't know how to do that."

Our thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. I immediately went to open it. Standing on our porch was a man holding a large box.

"Package for Nia?" he clarified.

"Yes, thank you," I said, taking the package and closing the door. I put it on the table.

"Here already? Wow they've gotten much faster than I remember, that was a mere six hours ago!" Granny exclaimed in disbelief.

I opened it up to reveal my new steel sword. I examined it closely, it was extremely sharp and even had one hexagonal hole put into it in the middle of the hilt.

"Hey Granny, what's this little hole here?"

Granny had already picked up her gun, it came with fifty rounds of each element along with a hundred rounds of simple hollow points.

"I don't know, the technology is way more than I'm willing to wrap my head around." She stopped to change subject. "Are you going after that aligo?"

"Yeah, I can't let it hurt someone else."

She immediately hugged me. "Spirit Crucible Elpys is extremely dangerous, be extremely careful. Few people survive traveling down, so if you're in trouble, don't be afraid to run."

I realized she wasn't just being her typical worry-wart self. She was seriously terrified of me going to this place.

"I will be extremely careful. If anything looks rough I'll come right back," I promised. I hated making promises, but you don't leave a woman who had cared for you for so long wondering if you'd even survive.

"Please take my gun and all of these rounds. You have your bullet bag right?"

"Of course," I said, quickly strapping it to my side.

"I want this back so don't you go dying on me now, I don't know what I'd do if I lost you."

"Well that's why I'm going down there, right?"

"Hm?" she asked, confused.

"I would lose my very self if I were to lose you, knowing I could never see you again... I have to take care of this aligo, and I refuse to let you get hurt," I explained.

"Oh maybe there's hope for you after all...," she said. "Good luck dear, be back in a few hours, don't spend longer than you need to."

"Of course Granny."

I holstered her gun to my left and sheathed my new sword to the right. The bullet bag was strapped across my lower back.

I left our house and went down the stairs, taking in our peaceful little village before I descended away from it.

The birdsong was relaxing as I looked at the trees and the grass. Children were outside playing by the schoolhouse and up on top of a large cliff called Salvager's Point, other children were jumping off of it and diving into the ocean below. It made Granny sick just thinking about doing something like that...

I passed by the house that had a large historical significance here in Fonsett. It was the house of the lady Corrine. She was the caretaker of Rex, who, five hundred years ago, saved the world with a group of friends from an ancient evil. Granny had told me that he was also her own driver, but failed to explain what a "driver" was. She said his legendary blade was called the Aegis. From the way she spoke of this blade, she made it sound like it had a personality. While I wasn't sure about all that, a legendary sword sounded nice right about now. Granny said that people used to flock from all over just to see Rex's childhood home, but as history faded into legend into myth, the people who cared to see it grew less and less.

For the past five hundred years, this village remained very rural, we assumed it had to be because of its location. Fonsett was situated on an archipelago of islands called the Leftherian Archipelago, or simply, Leftheria. We were still under the laws of the Nation of Alrest, but because we were about a hundred miles out to sea, the other provinces seemed to ignore us.

I journeyed up the hill that overlooked our small village, ignoring the wild kapiba and camills. Camills were large, non-aggressive monsters that stood about two human's tall and resembled that of an antler-less deer or thin horse.

As I made it all the way up I approached the entrance to Spirit Crucible Elpys, which was a large cave leading down into the very depths of Leftheria. I stood at the steps and began my descent, until the stairs turned into hard rock beneath my feet and I was enveloped into the darkness of the crucible.

Readability Level: 9th-10th Grade

Time Taken: 3 Hours

Please do not use without permission. All artwork is not mine and credit goes to the artist.


	3. Chapter III

Book I: The Nation of Alrest

Chapter III

As I walked down into the narrow rock tunnel, I felt the cool air hit me in the face. I wasn't sure where the wind was coming from, but as I walked further down, I came into a large clearing. As I came into the clearing I found a few patches of leafless bushes and short, bluish grass. But there was a clear paving to a long rope bridge in front of me. Upon approaching I discovered a large chasm, deeper than I could see and stretching farther then I'd care to know. Some large, stingray looking monsters came flying out of and back into it, I decided it was best to move quickly.

I noticed it was becoming hard to breathe, as the air was filled with weird shiny particles. Was I really this determined to kill the aligo? I didn't think so, but yet, I felt like I needed to keep going anyway.

I felt my stomach lurch as I scurried across the bridge and went into the narrow passageway on the other side. I crept through tunnel and soon found myself walking on what looked like a large spinal column embedded in the floor. Did giant monster's once live here, or was this place literally a giant monster? I assumed the former as a living continent seemed unthinkable.

The cave continuously went deeper and I noticed a large amount of water on the floor, it was purple. A short wade through it and I realized that the water was highly toxic and I immediately got out of it. I grabbed a transport block and loaded up a wind element bullet into Granny's pistol before setting it to low power and shooting the block.

Wind and water elements produced auras for healing and poison relief, the only problem with that was having to leave the aura in a set place and not being able to move it. With a transport block you could shoot the block and it would catch and hold the bullet in a small forcefield, allowing you to carry the aura with you.

The wind bullet began releasing its poison-relieving aura and I, once again, waded through the poison muck. Before long I was faced with climbing down a large spiraled path, which coiled along the walls of this cave. In the center of the spiral was a large hole that I couldn't see the bottom of. Before I could get all the way down, a swarm of vangs attacked me. They were similar to bats except larger and could cause intense bleeding. I loaded electric rounds into the gun and shot off a few bullets into the swarm. The electricity traveled to most of them and the few remaining took off. Before I could catch my breath I was surrounded by scorpoxes. These Great Dane-sized scorpions weren't pushovers, and I immediately pulled my sword and slashed at them.

I took a swing at one, cutting off its head before another one tried to get me with its stinger. I dodged and slashed its stinger off before planting my sword into its head. Another tried to grab my leg with its claw and I shot it point-blank with an earth bullet. Earth bullets were high impact and could cause small earthquakes that could break apart small boulders, this was more than enough to make this one shatter. I unloaded four more bullets into the remaining ones before pulling my sword out of the scorpox I had stabbed and sheathing my sword and holstering my gun.

I was about to exit when I finally saw it. The aligo with the sword sticking out of its head. It was too far away to shoot so I began approaching it. I found that, as I went deeper into the cave, the particles that made it hard to breath and see only got thicker, making it seem more like a fog now. I finally was in shooting range of the aligo. I grabbed the gun and loaded an earth bullet into it, set it to high power, and then aimed carefully. I focused everything I had into this shot before placing my finger on the trigger. Once I was sure that I wasn't going to miss, I squeezed it, hitting the aligo square in the face, killing it where it stood.

"Got you!" I exclaimed before realizing that the aligo wasn't alone.

Immediately about twenty much bigger aligos jumped down aggressively and charged me.

For as large as these beasts were, they were extremely agile. I ran back to the large spiral area and soon realized that there was nowhere for me to go without getting caught. As they closed in, snarling and growling, I leapt off the side and down the center of the spiral. The aligos looked down the hole and all turned back, not daring to jump after me, and then I plummeted down into the abyss.

"Waylon!" I heard a girl's voice call out.

"My name is Silas, you have me confused," I responded.

"Oh, my apologies. Hello Silas!" she said cheerfully.

I looked over to see the little girl with black hair and eyes that I had seen in my dream.

"A-Am I dead?" I asked, not sure as to what was happening.

"Of course not, I wouldn't let you die that easily!" she giggled. "You're just sleeping. It's time to wake up though."

"Who are you?"

"That not important yet. For now, wake up and go find the emerald core crystal."

"The emerald... what?" I questioned.

"You'll know it when you see it, it's nearby, now go! Quickly! They are coming."

"Who're they?" I interrogated, but before I could receive an answer, I woke up.

I got off of the floor, it was no longer a cave floor, it was a type of concrete... or tile? I looked around and realized that I was still in the cave, but much deeper. This whole area was an amazing feat of architecture. Where was I? I looked up in front of me to see one giant emblem carved into the structure. It looked like, a small flame, carved into the center of a giant circle. I remembered this to be the ancient emblem of Leftheria.

There were stairs leading up towards this emblem, so I climbed. It led to a pedestal with a white-and-golden sword stuck into it. Before I could take a closer look, I heard a sound behind me.

I turned quickly to see the aligo had tailed me here.

"Damn monsters don't know when to quit!" I said, drawing my sword.

Before I could truly fight back, all of them were cut to pieces in front of me. Then, all that was left were three figures, all black and all cloaked.

The far right one was short, holding a red, flaming sword. The one to the left was much taller, holding the same golden-white sword that rested behind me, only it's flame was pure white. The third was slightly taller than the one to his left, and his sword was double-edged and a bright teal, but curiously no flame.

I shot a few hollow points into them, which they sliced out of the air.

"Stay back!" I threatened before I heard the girl's voice again.

"The emerald core crystal."

I turned around to see that there was an emerald-colored rock laying in front of the sword behind me. It was a long-ways rectangle with two small points sticking out of the wide ends, resembling some sort of cross.

The beings began rushing towards me and I wasted no time in touching the crystal.

Readability Level: 9th-10th Grade

Time Taken: 2.5 Hours

Please do not use without permission. All artwork is not mine and credit goes to the artist.


	4. Chapter IV

Book I: The Nation of Alrest

Chapter IV

I woke up and looked around. Had I been sleeping? I didn't remember going to sleep...

I got off the... ground? As I looked around I realized that I was in an empty void of pure white. I couldn't see anything, I casted no shadow, there seemed to be no light source, and yet everything was just white. Where was I?

I spun around to see someone in the distance. A girl. She was wearing a white dress, but the dress itself cut off at the top of her thighs. Her skin was pale white, and her hair was a golden blonde. Her hair also was very long, going down to the middle of her back.

"Hello?" I called as I approached her. "Do... you know where we are?"

"You are... inside of me," she answered.

"Inside of you? Look lady, if this is some kind of joke—" I began, but she cut me off.

She spun around and looked me in the eyes, her eyes were just as golden as her hair was.

"No. My jokes usually involve people getting kicked or something. This is no joke. I can't remember who I was and I need your help finding that out."

"You've... lost your memory?"

"Not entirely. I know how I've felt ever since I was first resonated, but I don't have faces or names with those feelings," she explained.

"Resonated?" I pondered, but then stopped myself. "Look, I can't help you unless I can help myself. I need a way out of here and then out of Elpys. Can you help me do that?"

She sighed and looked me fiercely in the eye. "I can, but only if you help me discover who I am... who I was in exchange."

"I can try, but I make no promise."

"That will do, now please, place your hand on my chest," she requested.

"I- uh... what?" I said, unintentionally staring at her chest, which was of impressive size to note.

"Ugh, don't be staring you pervert! Just touch my core crystal for Pete's sake!" she yelled.

I jumped back. "Ah! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to! Honest!"

She glared at me before sighing. "Fine, whatever."

"Don't you at least want to exchange names first?"

She groaned. "You're Silas, I'm Mythra. Good?" she said abruptly.

"What's your problem? And how do you—?"

She cut me off. "I found out your name and all of your memories when you touched my core crystal. Sorry if I come off a bit brash, but I really don't want to drag this out any longer than I have to. So can we please go?"

I had no idea what I was about to get myself into and I didn't understand who or what she really was, but yet I was intrigued.

I approached her and carefully tapped her core crystal, which was on her chest directly centered above her breasts, with my index finger.

As I did it let out a bright green aura and immediately I woke up, back in Spirit Crucible Elpys.

I got off the ground and checked my surroundings. The three shadowy figures were still staring me down, but not attacking, as if... waiting for me to do something.

I turned around and grabbed the gold-and-white sword. It ignited and surrounded itself in a pure white flame as it opened up, revealing a much bigger blade, made of what looked like white fire.

"I'll take that!" a familiar voice beside him said.

I turned to see the blonde girl standing next to me.

"Ah, yes. Here you are," I said, giving it to her. She took it and swung it around.

"Spirit Crucible Elpys, I assume?" she questioned.

"I thought you said you don't remember anything," I interrogated.

"I don't remember names or how I'm tied to certain things. I remember faces, emotions, places, and actions, but I don't remember how they all tie together. It's complicated. Just know that I know this place limits my power and that we should get out of here sooner rather than later."

"Well the only way out is through them," I said, gesturing towards the three shadows standing across from us.

The ones with the white and red swords immediately bowed and disappeared, but the one with the teal sword still stood his ground.

"Well that's two down," Mythra pointed out.

"Don't worry," I said, drawing my sword and standing in between her and the shadow. "I'll protect you."

https/youtu.be/vRIbGTMit4Y

"Cute," she said sarcastically.

I immediately pulled my pistol and shot him a few times, but he slashed the bullets out of the air.

I pulled my sword and we clashed, he was much, much faster than I was. He spun me around and kicked me to the ground and went for my throat, but Mythra blocked it.

Their speeds were more equally matched, but soon even she was overpowered, sending her sprawling to the ground. I lunged at him, but he simply moved out of the way and knocked me to the ground.

"Pitiful," he said, mocking me.

His sword began glowing brighter than my eyes could handle, and I had to look away, he immediately kicked me and I flew into Mythra.

He sheathed his sword and seemed to look me square in the eye. "You still have much to learn to become the Aegis' Driver. Follow your will, your strength, focus, and you will succeed. Rely on each other, and you will conquer any obstacle. Walk apart, and this world will be ripped asunder, such is the power of the Aegis."

And with that, he disappeared.

I turned and looked at Mythra. "Did that jog your memory at all? He seemed like he knew you pretty well."

She got off the ground. "I wish, he seemed so familiar, but I can't quite explain how."

She walked right by me as I got off the ground too.

"Let's go back," I said. "Maybe Granny will clear things up."

"Hold on, someone's coming," she warned.

We both hid out of sight in between some rocks and a cave wall.

"Can you see?" Mythra asked.

"Somewhat, stay quiet, I'll go check," I said.

"Wait, where are you—?" she started to interrogate, but I had already left.

"Is anyone there?" I called out, with my gun drawn.

"Do not be alarmed," a voice called out.

"I have a gun and sword on me, I will put them away, you should do the same," I warned, holstering my gun.

"We are armed as well, but as long as you do not pose a threat, there will be no issue," he responded.

The man stepped into view. I was six feet tall, but this man stood over a foot above me, he was massive, his arms were half the width of my torso. He was wearing a strange uniform, decorated in shiny medals and colorful cords. The pants were straight and a shrub green, while the large jacket matched the color with golden buttons. His cap looked different then most hats and the same green. Why he wore such a nice uniform in such a mucky cave, I wouldn't know. His hair was grey and his skin was a tan white, his left eye was red and his right was without pupil and he did not smile. He carried a massive gun on his back and a two-handed claymore, definitely much too heavy of a weapon for someone like me to use.

Beside him was a girl, she was about as tall as Mythra, who was about three inches shorter than I was. She looked very muscular, and her skin tone was much darker than his, she was tanned, and was also wearing a uniform, but it was more feminine. She wore a jacket and straight pants just the same, but tailored to fit her physique. Her cap was the same as his, with a curved bill and fitting at the top of her head. Her black hair was pulled back in a bun and her face displayed a serious expression. Her eyes were a dark blue and she carried a long gun, but seemed to be built for medium range, and a single-edged curved blade, definitely one handed and shorter and faster than my own.

"Greetings commoner," the large man said in a deep, booming voice. "I must ask why you are down here in such a dangerous place."

I didn't see too much harm in answering honestly, but I wasn't about to expose Mythra.

"Followed a nasty Aligo down here. Broke my old sword so I came to make sure it didn't come back. You?"

"I'm looking for a certain rock that was said to be down here. A bright green one in a shape that resembles a crucifix. Have you seen one?"

The girl beside him spoke up in her own serious voice. "General I don't believe we should disclose—"

He cut her off. "Leave it Colonel, this young gentleman may have what we are looking for. And if not, well no harm in asking."

I knew I wasn't a good liar, but I knew how to tell half-truths.

"I don't know about any green rock, but there's one hell of an architectural feat in the next room. I'd be willing to bet money it's in there," I responded.

He laughed a very deep laugh. "I like you, what's your name?"

"Silas, yours?"

"I'm General Edwin Adonis, or simply General Adonis. My associate here is Colonel Acacia Uzuki."

"Pleasure to meet you and Miss Uzuki," I bowed courteously.

"Please, just call me Acacia, I'm not fond of my last name."

"Very well Acacia, I must say though, it's a last name unlike any I've heard before."

"It isn't common," she simply stated.

He stopped to look at a certain circular device that was attached to his belt. "Well it appears that rock isn't here after all, we must be headed back to Ysheva Station, I thank you for your time. Colonel, with me."

"Do you require assistance in leaving this cave?" Acacia asked me.

"I don't think so. But if you do see any aligo on your way out, do rough 'em up for me, will ya?" I responded.

General Adonis laughed hysterically. "Oh what the hell, sure kid."

And with that, they were off.

After I was sure they had left, I returned to Mythra.

"They were looking for me?" she asked to clarify.

"Yeah, I don't trust them, but they did bear the emblem of New Torna, we'll wait here for a few hours before leaving."

Eventually we made it through the cave, Mythra said relatively nothing, like she was in deep thought. I guess I couldn't blame her, if I had no tangible memories I'd be constantly confused too. When we finally made it out, it was dark already.

"Alright Mythra, down these steps and we'll be at—" I began, but she interrupted me.

"Fonsett Village, in Leftheria."

"Yeah? Did you remember?"

"No, this place hasn't really changed much at all. It resonated in me and I responded," she explained.

"Weird..." My thoughts were immediately interrupted by a woman tackle hugging me before I could even react.

"Silas where the 'ell 'ave you been? I've been so worried!" Granny exclaimed.

"Relax Granny! I only left this morning!"

"This morning?! You've been gone for three whole days!"

"Three days?" I wasn't quite sure of where the time had gone. I knew that people in caves have habits of losing track of time due to not being able to see the sun, but this seemed a little extreme.

"Well that may be my fault," Mythra spoke up.

Granny looked up at her and her hands trembled as she looked at the girl before her. "Mother of the Architect himself... Mythra... is that really you?"

"I am who I am. You are?"

Granny walked up slowly before hugging her tenderly. "It's been so long since I last saw your face."

Mythra seemed to not know ow to respond, so she froze, refusing to show emotion back, but not willing to reject it.

"Ah! I'm sorry, you may not recognize me. It's me, Nia!" Granny introduced.

"Uhh... Granny?" I said to get her attention. "She doesn't have any full memories of her past, that's why she enlisted my help, to get her memory back."

"You? The driver of the Aegis?" she began laughing.

"The driver of the what?" I asked.

"Mythra, you didn't tell him?" Granny asked.

"That's... my bad. I lost my memory the moment he resonated with me, so... I guess I forgot to mention what he was really signing up for," Mythra apologized.

"What're you on about?" I asked them.

"Do you remember the stories I'd tell you of Rex?" Granny asked.

"Yeah, you said he wielded a legendary blade called the... Aegis," it finally dawned on me what this was.

"Right, this is her, this is Mythra. As her driver, you are sworn to protect her and guide her where she needs to go. Do you think you can do that?" Granny asked.

I realized something might be wrong and immediately explained my encounter with General Adonis and Colonel Acacia.

"The military was supposed to be disposed of back in 4065, why is it being brought back five 'undred years later?" Granny pondered.

"Yeah, when all the nations came together as one Nation of Alrest under the Declaration of Unity, there was no need for a military, as all life now shared one continent and nation to be proud of."

"All I know is that New Torna keeps written records for all blades, the best thing to do is take her there," Granny concluded.

"You want me to... leave Leftheria? Leave Fonsett? Leave you?" I asked in disbelief.

"As the driver of the Aegis, you've got no choice in the matter. She is now your responsibility and you must guard her with your very life, or the entire nation's at stake," she warned. "I'll get you set up to leave by tomorrow, you'll 'ave to get ready to leave by then. Mythra can stay in the guest room."

"I... am unprepared."

"I know, but you'll 'ave to get prepared, you're in for a lot more then you understand."

"Agreed," Mythra said. "Regardless I must leave, if you no longer wish to accompany me I understand, but please make your decision."

"I'll... let you know in the morning, I need to sleep on it," I said.

"Right," Mythra agreed. "Good night Silas."

I wasn't hungry, and so I took a shower and went to bed. I needed time to think, but I passed out before I could even think too deeply.

Readability Level: 9th-10th Grade

Time Taken: 4 Hours

Please do not use without permission. All artwork is not mine and credit goes to the artist.


	5. Chapter V

Book I: The Nation of Alrest

Chapter V

I hate dressing up. It didn't mean I didn't know how to, but I hated it. The dress, the make up, the pantyhose, the dreaded modern torture machines commonly referred to as heels, ever part of it was sickening. I was a soldier, not some pretty little rose for all the boys to stand and gawk at with their mouths hanging open like a bunch of underfed birds in front of a worm. Nonetheless these were my orders.

"Colonel Acacia, I will need you to come to an event this Friday. I will be showcasing a miraculous invention that will change the way we see the world! But you'll have to dress nice," he had said.

I had attempted to argue wearing my dress uniform, but he waved it off and specifically asked me to wear a dress.

"That's an order," he had finished. So I knew there was no getting out of it.

I applied a nice shade to my face and eyeliner and lipstick and all of that malarkey, and then put on a dress my sister had recommended. Of course, it's not that my sister cared at all. She enjoyed watching me squirm, so she'd pick out some of the girliest things she could find. Even though it bothered me, I knew she'd never let me leave looking bad. No, she'd make sure that I looked absolutely stunning, but she'd also make sure I absolutely hated it.

I opened the closet and pulled off the plastic cover from the dress, she definitely pulled out the stops this time. The dress was very expensive, and dark blue? Wow, the color was something I didn't actually hate, until I realized that the subtle pattern on the dress contained butterflies and flowers. They were simply stitched onto the dress, and were the same color, but anyone with eyes would notice it. The dress came about to the bottom of my knees, and the spaghetti straps weren't my favorite. Luckily she included a long-sleeved black cover for it. The heels were black, but also about four inches high.

"Why do you hate me sis?" I mumbled aloud.

Now all I had to deal with was my hair. This part I didn't mind so much, as I was simple. I brushed it out and used a couple of oval hair clips to pin it behind my ears. My hair went slightly below my shoulders, but it had been in a bun for so long now that I had forgotten how long it really had gotten.

I put on the dreaded heels and then sat down and waited for the security detail to arrive.

After about fifteen minutes, I realized I had forgot my perfume and spritzed some on me. Immediately there was a loud knock on my door, startling me and causing me to drop my perfume. The almost-full bottle then proceeded to leak in a big stain on my apartments carpet.

"Son of a bitch!" I yelled at no one. "This place is going to smell like perfume for months now..."

The door was knocked again.

"Yeah, give me a minute!" I groaned as I sopped up what I could of the perfume with a towel before finally answering the door.

"Colonel Acacia?" a large man in a complete black suit with a white shirt and a black tie asked. He had a wire hanging from his ear and was wearing sunglasses. His skin was a peachy-white and he had black hair, obviously the security detail. He also had some sort of mustache, but it wasn't growing out well at all.

"That's me," I responded.

"I am part of the New Tornan Exclusive Security Detail, you're ride is here," he explained in a deep voice.

"Fine, let's just get this over with," she said as she locked her door and walked to the vehicle.

"You look—" the man went to compliment, but Acacia cut him off.

"Comment on my looks and I will kick you so hard you'll shit out the remains of your testicles, capiche?" she threatened.

The bodyguard immediately switched gears. "Y-Yes ma'am."

"Good," I responded, before being drawn once again to his weird mustache. "And shave that shit, it looks like someone smeared a shit stain on your upper lip."

The bodyguard sighed as he opened the door to the vehicle. It was a long, gold-colored car, that hovered off the ground, just like all vehicles did in New Torna.

Immediately the car took off down the highway, reaching a good medium speed of about three hundred miles an hour.

In a period of five minutes we arrived to the New Tornan Conference Hall. My house was on the west edge of town, the Conference Hall was in the center.

I left the car and entered the building, only to find it crowded with people from all over Alrest. Ardanians, Urayans, New Tornans, Tantalese, Gormotti, it was all so... overwhelming.

After pushing through at least a hundred people, I finally found General Adonis himself.

"Ah, Colonel! So good to see you," he said in his deep, booming voice. "You clean up well, I assume the Lieutenant's to thank for that?"

"My sister has always been the dressier one," I responded, gritting my teeth and wanting this to be over.

"Oh speak of the angel, here she comes now!" he pointed out, turning his attention to the girl approaching them. "Ah, Lieutenant Uzuki, how are you?"

"Doing well General, and yourself?" she responded in a cutesy, high-pitched voice.

"About to make history, I'm absolutely dying to reveal what I have in store!"

My sister then turned her unique purple eyes on me and gave me a shit-eating grin. Her dress was a dark violet, matching her eyes, and she was wearing matching heels, earrings, eye shadow, and lipstick. Her nails were also matching and her brown hair was behind her ears yet resting over her shoulder, going down just below her armpits. Her dress cut off above her knees and she looked much better than me, at least, in my opinion.

"Oh sis you look so beautiful," she said, making a big deal out of it just to get under my skin. I'd like to say it wasn't working, except we both knew it was. "Underneath all that scowl and mud there really is a precious little butterfly!"

"Watch yourself, before I show you a scowl," I shot back.

"At ease ladies, it's time. Sit down and enjoy the show. If anyone afterwards asks you questions about what I'm about to unveil you can direct them to Janie's number," he instructed.

Janie was his secretary, a job I'm glad I didn't have to put up with.

My sister and I quickly sat down and waited as the lights turned off and General Adonis himself stood before a podium before the crowd of eager people.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I am General Adonis, this nation's chief executive of national defense. It is with a heavy heart that I must inform you of our imminent demise. Our common enemy is the Blade Assistance Program. As we all know, blades are mysterious entities that wield unfathomable power. These people claim that blades are only means of defense against other people and for hunting, but are we so sure about that? Flesh eaters exist and can easily form, allowing any blade to have the potential to skyrocket in power to levels unreachable with our current technologies. Well today I announce that we finally have a surefire way to control blades, no matter how powerful they've become!"

There were astonished gasps coming from the crowd. Everyone was on the edge of their seats, even me!

"Everyone knows of the mythical Aegis. One thousand years ago, a wise and noble hero climbed to the top of the World Tree, and hidden there were two core crystals, one of emerald, and one of amethyst. These blades became known as Aegises, the most powerful blades ever to exist. They could move as fast as light itself, they granted their drivers immortality. The wise hero summoned the amethyst Aegis, and a wicked thief summoned the emerald. When these two Aegises fought, the emerald reigned supreme, and destroyed an entire continent. It is said that it is the reason only one continent exists," Adonis paused as everyone understood what he was saying. It was a simple story for children, but where was he going with this?

"I have created a man-made weapon with the destructive power of an Aegis."

"Outrageous!" someone yelled out.

Immediately everyone started shouting questions. I watched as security attempted to silence the crowd. This really was going to be a long day...

I woke up slowly, my eyes felt like they were still glued shut. I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and looked out my window, it was probably almost noon by now...

I lazily rolled out of bed and threw on clothes. As I did so, my brain began to kick into gear as I remembered that Mythra was waiting on me. I hurried and threw on some blue jeans and a plain black t-shirt and rushed downstairs to find both Granny and Mythra sitting at the table.

"Someone was tired," Mythra mocked.

"Oh he always sleeps late," Granny laughed.

"Good morning... ladies," I chuckled nervously.

"Have you made your decision?" Mythra asked eagerly.

Before I could answer, Granny interrupted.

"Patience Mythra, he needs to know more first. Come sit, Silas," she said.

I sat down and Granny began telling me what I didn't know.

"Mythra is not just a girl, as you've probably guessed. She is part of a race known as blades. Blades, in essence, have existed since the beginning of time, but were only discovered briefly before the world collapsed. The Architect used three special blades, the Aegises, to recreate the world into a new existence. Afterwards, plenty of blades were scattered all across this new land we named Alrest. These blades are contained in tiny crystalline rocks called core crystals, and each one looks like a weird eight-sided die. Or two square pyramids glued together. When someone who is worthy touches the core crystal, it resonates and becomes a blade. This is what you did with Mythra. The being that resonates with a blade is called a driver, and is responsible for working with that blade, while the blade is responsible for protecting their driver."

"Well that makes a lot of sense now...," I responded.

"When a driver dies, the blade will return to its core crystal and lose all memories from its life. The next person to resonate with the blade will then be the blade's new driver, and so the process continues. This does not, however, apply to an Aegis. An Aegis has the choice to remain a blade or return to their core crystal, and can exist as long as they want. They are also free from losing their memory."

"Which is why I need your help to find out what happened to mine," Mythra added.

"If you're so powerful, why do you need me?" I asked.

"The power of a single blade is nothing compared to the power of a driver and blade when they fight in unison," Granny answered. "Both the driver and the blade gain power and confidence in each other. The more you trust each other, the better you will fight."

"So how do we recover her memory?" I questioned.

"I do not know," Granny responded. "But I think you're best bet is to head to the New Torna capitol building. Wa— A former Aegis driver made it a legal requirement for all blades to keep two GPS-tracked journals, one for historical purposes and one for the blade's personal thoughts. These journals are put into an archive and free to access by the blade so long as they can prove their identity. Luckily, Mythra's core crystal is so unique that there is no possible way that they won't identify it."

"Sounds simple enough," I said. "I think this is something I can do, I'll go with you Mythra."

Mythra acknowledged this.

"I figured you'd say that, which is why I went ahead and bought you two train tickets to New Torna. You'll make a brief stop at the Argentum Gambling District, you'll have a couple hours there to unwind and relax before boarding a second train to New Torna." Granny was one step ahead, as usual.

"Where do you get the money for all of this?" I asked in disbelief.

"I... have my ways," she answered. "Just be safe, this could be more dangerous than you're prepared for. Take your sword and take my gun. You'll need 'em both."

"You're giving me your gun?"

"You'll need it more than I will, I'll just use your old one, should work fine, eh?"

I gave her a hug. "Thanks Granny."

"Don't mention it," she said compassionately. "Also you slept too long and the train leaves in an hour, suit up and get moving."

I laughed and quickly grabbed my belongings and we headed off to Ysheva Station. We had to rush a bit to make it on time, and soon we were all standing in the boarding platform.

Granny gave me a quick hug. "I love you, be safe."

"Love you too Granny."

She then turned to Mythra, giving her a weird brown cloak.

"I don't know if anyone remembers the sign of the Aegis, but just in case, wear this robe in public, it will hide your core crystal and your green crosses," she instructed.

"Why would the green crosses be a giveaway?" Mythra asked.

"Because they glow in the dark," Granny laughed.

"Fair enough," Mythra chuckled, tucking the cloak in my bag.

"One more thing Mythra," Granny added as she handed her a bright green metal flower.

"What is this?" Mythra questioned.

"A part of you, take it with you."

Mythra put the flower in her hair. "Well, it does match quite well."

As we said our goodbyes, the intercom buzzed and gave us a message. "Attention all passengers. This train will be leaving for the Argentum Gambling District in five minutes, please finish boarding and we will begin our departure. Thank you for choosing the Ysheva Railing Corporation."

After saying one last goodbye to Granny, we quickly boarded, put our luggage in an overhead compartment, and sat next to each other on a two-seater bench. The train was mostly made of wood, but ran on fire ether. The controlled explosions produced would supply enough energy to get the train moving. The train had a narrow aisle with a dull red carpet, and the benches had cushions the same color. They weren't the most comfortable, but they weren't bad either. We both ended up propping our feet up on the opposite bench, as there were only about five people on the train itself. Then again, not many people travelled to or from Leftheria, it was such a small and quiet place. People retiring from their jobs would often come live in Leftheria while new adults beginning their life would often leave. I'm honestly surprised we had a regular train route at all considering such circumstances. Yet here we were.

The intercom buzzed again. "Attention all passengers, we have officially left Ysheva Harbor and will arrive at the Argentum Gambling District in six hours. The restrooms are located near the caboose of the train and food will be supplied at 15:00 and 18:00. Our arrival time should be 19:00. Thank you for choosing the Ysheva Railing Corporation."

Mythra laughed.

"What's so funny?" I asked.

"She says 'thanks for choosing' like we actually had a choice. No other company has railways to the mainland."

I chuckled. "I guess that is funny."

I looked back at Leftheria longingly through the window.

There was still so much I didn't know or understand, but I guess this is where my journey began...

Granny chuckled to herself as the train rolled away. "That boy has no idea what he's gotten himself into."

Readability Level: 11th-12th Grade

Time Taken: 4.5 Hours

Please do not use without permission. All artwork is not mine and credit goes to the artist.


	6. Chapter VI

Book I: The Nation of Alrest

Chapter VI

"Attention all passenger, this is your conductor speaking," a man's voice said over the intercom. "We are currently arriving at the Argentum Train Station and will be offloading shortly. The current time is 18:46, which means we are ahead of schedule. For those heading into New Torna, the next train will be headed out by 22:00 and will then proceed for eight hours, as New Torna more than four times the length from Argentum as Argentum is from Leftheria. Take your time and enjoy your time here, this is a large tourist attraction, and since it's the spring, it will not be too packed. Thank you for choosing the Ysheva Railing Corporation. Have a good evening."

"If the distance from Argentum to New Torna is four times the distance than the distance from Leftheria to Argentum, how does it only take two hours longer for us to get there? Shouldn't it take twenty-four hours?" Mythra asked.

"Don't know," I replied. "I've never really been outside of Leftheria before..."

I guess I sounded nervous, because Mythra looked sympathetic. I looked outside the truck window and saw the sun finally set.

"Don't worry, I'll protect you from the scary dark," she teased.

I laughed. "Yeah whatever!"

She stopped laughing. "But seriously, thanks for coming with me, I'm not sure how to do this on my own."

"Yeah, no problem. How hard could this be?" I asked rhetorically.

She looked away nervously. "You really have no idea what you've gotten yourself into have you?"

"Not really? Should I be worried?"

"Just... be prepared for anything."

We soon exited the train to be stopped by another railway attendant.

"Hello, are you headed to the next train to New Torna?" he asked.

"Yes, we are," I responded.

"I can take your luggage now and make sure it arrives at the New Tornan Station if you'd like," he offered.

I thought for a moment before responding. "Alright, here you are," I said, giving him my luggage.

He put the suitcases on a moving platform, the likes of which I hadn't seen in Leftheria.

https/youtu.be/cDxCLrfv20o

We walked outside of the station and were immediately surrounded by the area known as the Argentum Gambling District.

Despite this being the "slow" part of the year, there will still hundreds of people walking around. Argentum was built on a large wooden platform that stretched out into the ocean. Large, open wooden structures decorated the land, each building offering something different. Some had strange devices with moving pictures and coin slots. Another building was full of people betting their gold on card games and other weird spinning machines. Another area was filled with animals and monsters labeled from across all of Alrest. Needless to say it was a lot to take in.

"I'm guessing you don't know what any of this is either," Mythra noted.

"Yeah, technology on Leftheria isn't exactly what we'd call 'advanced'," I responded.

Before we could truly begin moving, I noticed people making way for a female nopon walking through. Behind her were two girls, both with blue hair and carrying different weapons. One was carrying some form of katana and the other was carrying a large-headed spear. The one on the left was decorated with objects that appeared to be water bubbles, the other one wore objects resembling icicles. The water bubble one had an eyepatch over her right eye, the icicle one had an eyepatch over her left. They almost looked like twins, but definitely not identical.

The nopon lady stopped and looked at Mythra.

"We forgot my cloak," Mythra whispered to me.

"Yeah I just noticed, maybe we shouldn't have given him our luggage."

The nopon lady walked right up to us, I immediately placed myself in between her and Mythra.

"How can I help you?" I asked cautiously.

"You can't, I was simply coming to chat with the lovely lady behind you," the nopon said in perfect English.

"A nopon that speaks English fluently?" I thought to myself. It was certainly strange, this was clearly no ordinary nopon. I then responded. "She's with me."

"Well aren't you the brave one?" she giggled. "How entertaining."

The icicle girl put her hand on her katana.

"Patience Theory, no need to cause a scene," the nopon lady said to the girl.

"You're quite fluent for a nopon," I pointed out.

The nopon lady stopped and stared in bewilderment before laughing. "My, my, you're not from around here are you?! Do you not know who I am, boy?"

"I have a name, it's Silas. And no, I'm from Leftheria."

"Leftheria? I assumed only pigs and peons came from such a remote town! Never someone as gorgeous as her!" she exclaimed. "Tell me child. Is he paying you as an escort? If so I believe you should re-advise your choices of affiliation!"

"Name's Mythra, and no, he and I share a certain bond," Mythra responded respectfully. I could tell she was about to punch someone though.

"My, my, well peon," she addressed me. "It seems you have some taste after all if you managed to get with someone like her."

"It's not like tha—" I went to argue, but she cut me off.

"Shut it boy, I am speaking," she said abruptly. "My name is Juliani, Alrest's first female nopon driver. I am one of the most important people in all of Alrest. Behind me are my two blades. The one with the chroma katana is Theory, and the one with the megalance is Praxis. I would simply like to give a gift to such a wonderfully beautiful lady."

She pushed me out of the way and handed Mythra a bracelet with a peculiar stone on it.

"Keep it with you and you'll find yourself with help when you both shall need it."

She then turned to me.

"I don't normally like peons like you, but I think I've decided to make an exception for you boy. You and her are both invited to join my entourage at any time. If you need help, let me know, I may be able to help you when you need it."

I drew my sword, immediately Praxis and Theory drew their weapons as well.

"Relax," I said, laying my sword flat in my hands. "Do you see this hole in my blade, what is this?"

She inspected it closely. "My! That is a socket. Such a fine blade indeed. Here," she said, giving me a red stone. I fitted it in the socket of my sword. Immediately the blade was lit aflame.

"Woah!" Mythra and I said simultaneously.

Juliani giggled. "You two are mesmerized by the silliest of things. Do me a favor and when you get to the armory here in Argentum, pick yourselves up a couple of ether stones. They'll power up your sword with various effects. Show them your bracelet and anything in Argentum is seventy-five percent off, so do enjoy that. Now ta ta, I must be off."

"Thank you Miss Juliani," I said respectfully.

She laughed as she began walking away. "You will be able to repay me soon enough boy. Take care of that girl for me, you hear?"

And then she was gone as fast as she appeared.

"Do we trust her?" I asked.

"Only about as far as you can throw her. I say keep her at arm's length, she's not the type to give something for nothing."

Immediately we were approached by a random nopon.

"Wowie! It not often Juliani acknowledge people she not making business with!" he said.

"Who is she exactly?" I asked.

"Friend kidding! Juliani is director of Argentum Gambling District! Juliani get rid of simple Argentum Trade Guild of old and make big tourist attraction for all!" he said.

"You sure are lively, what's your name?" Mythra asked.

"Rafi is Rafi!" he replied. "Rafi is super famous engineerpon who work on many important things! Who are friends?"

"I'm Silas, and this is Mythra. We're on our way to New Torna to... help her out," I said, not wanting to blow her cover.

"Oh! Mythra is blade?"

"Well... yeah," I replied. I didn't expect him to figure it out that fast...

"Be careful! Rafi heard that when drivers go to register blade that blade somehow come out looking completely different! Rafi thinks government take strong blade and give back weak blade!"

"Meh!" A deeper nopon voice said from the background. "Rafi better get back to fixing sink and stop telling customers about crazy conspiracies!"

"Sorry masterpon!" Rafi called back.

"What happened to 'famous engineer'?" I asked skeptically.

"Meh meh! Did Rafi not say 'in training'?" he defended.

Mythra laughed. "Same old nopon. Tell you what, if we need mechanical help, we'll come to you."

Rafi's eyes lit up. "It would be Rafi's pleasure!"

We began walking away to look around, as we did so, Mythra and I chatted.

"Why'd you tell him that?" I asked.

"Simple," Mythra responded. "Who knows? One day we might need his help, or he may need ours, and he definitely seemed willing to. The more people that we have rooting for us, the more of a chance that we'll have help when we need it."

"Do all blades think like that?"

"Call it... a blade's intuition," she answered, as if recollecting something.

We walked to one of the wooden structures, called a booth, and looked at all of the moving pictures.

"Sir," I asked one of the employees. "What are these?"

"Customer seriously not know?" the nopon responded. "This is arcade, these machines are interactive movies!"

"You mean like... a theatre play?" Mythra added.

"What?! No! Have... have customers not watched a television before?"

"Tele... vision?" I questioned. We had nothing this advanced in Leftheria, everything was cut off from the rest of the world.

This is how our day went. We walked around, asked what something was, received looks of disbelief, and then were talked to like we were idiots. We didn't mind much, however, as we really honestly had no idea what anything was.

At one point some Ardanian merchant tried selling us something, which was an... interesting experience.

"You look like a couple of find folks, can I interest you in a cell phone?" he said politely.

"What is a cell phone?" I asked. "What is a..." happened to be my most used phrase of the day.

"Wot? You gotta be jokin' me! A cell phone lets you talk to people from far away with tha push ov' a button!" he explained.

"How does it work?" Mythra asked behind me.

"Ah! Well ya see, ya gotta enter in someone's phone number, an' then it'll ring their phone, and they'll answer it, and then ya talk to them through a microphone!"

"So the other person has to also have a cell phone?" I interrogated.

"Yes, but 'avin one is so common these days that it's weirder not to have one!" he continued in his thick Ardanian accent.

"And all I have to do is buy a phone?" I kept going.

"Yes! For this 'ere model it's a fixed twenty thousand gold!" he explained.

"Twenty thousand?! Do you want the kidney as well?"

"Ah, don't worry none about it, I can set you up for just a hundred gold a month for the next few years. Add a plan so you can actually use it, and you'll be payin' a simple two hundred gold a month!"

I knew immediately this had to be some sort of scam. "And people do this?"

"All the time, just look around! 'Aven't you seen people talking on these machines?"

I had, which meant it wasn't a scam and people actually paid this normally.

"Yeah I think I'd rather die in a fire, thanks."

And Mythra and I moved on.

We ended up playing castle poker, a popular Urayan card game, inside of one of the booths. They called the place a casino and we would bet gold to see who'd win. I knew how to play, but I wasn't amazing at it. Mythra on the other hand...

"You're a cheating ass bitch!" one burly man said as he jumped off of his chair. He had been winning all evening, but as soon as Mythra showed up he was brought down to nothing, I had stopped playing awhile ago. Originally, he had started beating me and telling me how terrible I was when Mythra moved me out of the way and began to show off her skills. I just had to not laugh.

He pulled a gun to her head. "You give me my money back right now!" he threatened.

She laughed in his face. "Take the shot, you'll regret it." She pointed her finger in his face in a way that pissed him off even more.

He got pissed off and stormed out.

"Are you crazy?! You almost got yourself killed!" I scolded.

"Don't worry about it. I'm a blade, remember? I heal all wounds instantly and I've definitely taken worse blows. At least... I remember the feeling of worse blows," she pondered.

I sighed. "How're you so good at this game anyway?"

"Ever needed to fire a laser precisely enough to neutralize your enemies without killing them or destroying the area you're fighting in? Run those calculations a couple million times and calculating card statistics is child's play."

"I... have a lot to learn, don't I?"

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

We started out betting one hundred gold, and we ended up with four thousand. We put the money in my coin case and we continued on.

The seventy-five percent discount Juliani gave us was really helpful. I bought a few sockets for my sword, one of each element, we got food, and even went to see a show. It was titled, "The Legend of the Aegis Part II".

When the curtains opened it showed a female, playing a male child, with a blue diving suit and a green sword. The play was definitely fun to watch. A machine was producing some thick fog for some scenes and other machines added lights and sounds. It ended with the main character, Rex, marrying the girl, clothed entirely in green.

"Did you wear only green before?" I asked.

"I know I didn't get married before, I would scratch this as inaccurate," she said simply.

Soon the time had passed and it was time to get on the train for New Torna. As we approached the station, a group of men blocked us off.

"You're gonna pay me back everything you owe me you blonde slut," the man that was front and center said. All three were holding large bats and pistols.

I recognized him as the one Mythra has destroyed in poker earlier.

"You still don't scare me hun. Will you please move out of the way before I decide to make your face look even uglier?" Mythra mocked.

"Lass thinks she's cute boss!" one of the other men said.

"Cuter than anyone you'll ever date sweetheart," she fired back.

I pulled my sword and loaded a fire gem into it, setting the sword ablaze once more. "You'd best get out of our way."

Four more men walked up behind us, Mythra and I stood back to back.

"Seven guys on one girl? Is this typical?" she snarked.

"Mythra this is looking pretty dicey," I warned.

"No, let them come, the more the merrier," she said, giggling a bit.

The men all fired their guns, sending the bullets directly at us...

Readability Level: 11th-12th Grade

Time Taken: 4.5 Hours

Please do not use without permission. All artwork is not mine and credit goes to the artist.


	7. Chapter VII

Book I: The Nation of Alrest

Chapter VII

https/youtu.be/zukZtQQ2hDU

Immediately, Mythra summoned an ether shield made up of small hexagons and the bullets fired at us bounced off.

"You ready?" she warned.

I clutched my flaming sword in my hand. "Yeah, lets go!"

The guys immediately dropped their guns and pulled out single-bladed curved swords.

Mythra swung her sword, letting out a beam of light at the enemies, it hit two and immediately put them on the ground, I swung at the ring leader, who laughed as we clashed.

"You take him, I'll handle the rest," Mythra commanded as we fought our separate battles.

My double-edged blade was much heavier than his sword, but it seemed that I knew how to use mine a little better.

He swung viciously, but I stayed calm and kept my center of balance, staying in defense as he moved.

Mythra's sword wasn't made of simple metal and had a blade made of light, she simply cut through their swords with ease as they stood baffled. She used a very minute amount of energy, just enough to knock these guys out and began throwing them to the ground with her blade.

"You fight well for a mere boy," the man said as our swords collided.

"Sword fighting was Granny's idea of playtime," I responded before kicking him in the leg and sending him sprawling to the ground.

He went to block with his sword, but I slashed upward, sending his sword flying into the air, I then pegged him by pointing my sword at his throat.

"It's over," I glared.

"I suppose so, you gonna kill me?" he asked.

I lowered my sword. "No, get out of here, we'll call it even."

"Even?!" he questioned, getting upset.

"You gave us your money, we let you keep your life and your friends' lives," Mythra sassed. "Fair trade if you ask me."

He began to realize that there was no point in arguing, so he began walking off, grumbling to himself.

After he and his goons had left the area, I sheathed my sword.

"Please don't put us in any more situations like that, I'd like to live," I told her.

"No promises, besides, we survived. They weren't any issue, don't be such a baby," she teased.

I went to respond, but she was already getting on the train, and I followed.

"So why did you just give all of that to them Lady Juliani?" Theory asked, her gaze was emotionless like always.

"Questioning my methods, are we?" Juliani answered, looking in her blade's eyes.

"Just curiosity is all," Theory reasoned.

"Very well," Juliani said before pausing. "Tell me, do you know who that girl was?"

"A pretty face, no doubt! But no, I don't understand," Praxis chimed in.

Juliani looked at Praxis, admiring the water bubbles that adorned her. "Correct, but she was a blade."

"A blade? How could you tell?" Theory questioned.

"She had a bright emerald crystal! Did you not notice?" Juliani interrogated in a scolding manner.

"I noticed, but I simply thought it was an adornment," Theory noted.

"I believe that girl was the Aegis of legend," Juliani theorized.

"What?! But that just a bunch of hog wash! That mythical child's fairytale is nothing but... well, as I said!" Praxis snapped.

"Oh please, just because that blubbering oaf Adonis says something doesn't mean you've got to go running to his feet. We women are of a higher intellect than that. The Aegis exists, and that woman was her."

"So what did we gain by giving her a core crystal?" Praxis asked.

"An ally. We've already loaded up the core crystal with the instruction she needs. The Sisters of Argentum will be able to become the strongest female alliance- no, the strongest alliance in all of history once we inevitably gain control of her. It's simply a matter of time."

"Very well, then we wait," Theory concluded.

"I don't know, the boy didn't seem like he trusted you very much," Praxis pointed out.

"True, but if it comes to it, the peon can simply be... disposed of."

"Attention all passengers, this is your attendant speaking. We will now be departing for New Torna, the train ride will take a full eight hours so sit back and get comfortable. Pillows and blankets will be provided upon request and bathrooms are available at the back of the train. Food will be provided upon request for a fee and is brought to you by the New Tornan Express Kitchen. If you would like a menu, let us know at any time by pressing the button to the right or left of your seat. We should arrive by 05:00. Thank you for choosing the New Tornan Express, have a wonderful night."

This train was much nicer than the last one we were on. The seats provided much more cushion and room, the last one also didn't have a full cart dedicated to being a kitchen. The engine also didn't rely on fire ether in a furnace for power, so I wasn't even sure how it worked. All I really knew is we were moving much faster than we were on the Fonsett Railway. The walls were white and the seats were two-seater benches, but with a full cushion per seat. The seats had cup holders, various buttons, book lights, and even a personal television built into the back of the seat in front of you. The walls and flooring were made of various polished metals and the attendants were all dressed in bright white and red dresses. It was all so... organized.

"This is quite the upgrade," I said to Mythra, who was sitting across from me. The train was relatively empty so we'd both gotten an entire two-seaters for ourselves.

"Agreed, lets hope New Torna isn't any more advanced than this is...," she chuckled.

As the train ride continued, Mythra had gotten us both pillows and blankets and she had already passed out. I tried to stay awake for a bit longer, but soon I fell asleep as well.

"You're definitely not ready," the girl with the black hair said to me.

"Ready for what?" I asked, realizing this was the same girl who appeared to me twice before I found Mythra.

"To be a driver. Let alone the driver of the Aegis. A driver's greatest strength is the bond that he shares with his blade, and the blade's greatest strength is the trust that they have in their driver, but you two fight separately. You don't act as one, but as two different units, this will lead to your demise."

"Relax, we're not going to be getting into any fights, we're just going to go pick up her journal and then go back to Leftheria, it'll be a piece of cake!" I argued.

"You are naive, boy. You will learn soon enough."

"I told you my name, what's yours?" I interrupted.

She took a second to think before responding. "Call me Sarah, for now, at least."

I stood up and held out my hand. "It's nice to meet you."

She giggled as she shook my hand. "Still a dork, things don't change with you, do they?"

"What do you mean by that?" I began to ask, but she had already begun walking away, and I soon awoke.

My eyes shot open, looking around. How long was I out? I immediately realized something was up because Mythra was laying on top of me, and fast asleep.

I turned beet red as I tried to gently nudge her awake.

"Hey, uh... Mythra? You ok?" I said nervously as her eyes fluttered open.

She looked around and yawned in my face before she finally took note of her surroundings. She jumped up and yelled out.

"What the hell are you doing?! You—!"

I cut her off. "You're on my side Mythra!"

"Well I—!" she stopped to look around before laughing a bit. "Ugh I know I've done this before... Why am I so bad at this?!"

"Sleepwalk often?" I chuckled.

"Yeah, I tend to do it every now and then. I've never woken up in a stranger's bed so I guess that's on the bright side."

I was going to say something back, but something through the window caught my eye.

https/youtu.be/LsUw4Hzex0M

"Mythra... look!" I said, pointing out the window.

She immediately looked to see what I was pointing at, before seeing it as well.

Out in the midst of the horizon, the sun was coming up, filling the sky in a beautiful array of red and orange, and in the middle of it all, stood the capital of Alrest, New Torna.

The city shone bright with an aura of pure gold, wrapped around gorgeously with streets of emerald green. There were many flying machines circling around over it, and at the center of the city was a tall building that cut through the sky itself. As we approached, we realized how massive this city was, as far left or as far right as we could see, the city still kept going. Miles and miles of hustle and bustle, all in an organized fashion. Large TVs decorated some of the building, displaying all manner of things such as news highlights and advertisements, though it was hard to see from the train window.

Both Mythra and I stared with our mouths hanging open at this, it was bigger than either of us had ever experienced.

What were we getting into?

Readability Level: 11th-12th Grade

Time Taken: 3 Hours

Please do not use without permission. All artwork is not mine and credit goes to the artist.


	8. Chapter VIII

Book One: The Nation of Alrest

Chapter VIII

I walked into the staff entrance of the Blade Control Corp Headquarters and took the elevator to the 150th floor, General Adonis' office. I went to knock on the door, but before I did so I overheard him yelling at someone.

"Why are you so worthless?!" he yelled, before I heard a smacking sound, like someone being slapped. I heard a crashing like someone landing on a few chairs, and then decided to knock before it went on any further.

The room fell silent before I heard his voice again. "We will continue this discussion later, for now, continue your work in your office. Dismissed!" he commanded.

The door opened and a cloaked figure walked out, sniffling as she passed me by. I knew it was a she as the chest and buttocks jutted out in a manner that the female physique usually does. My thoughts were interrupted by General Adonis' voice.

"Ah, Colonel Acacia, come in," he invited as he picked up the things that had fallen over in his outburst.

"Everything alright General?" I asked skeptically.

"Yes, I simply had to get her head on straight. They don't train 'em like they used to," he responded.

It's true, thanks to the attitude of progressivism that this city had, drill sergeants we're going much easier on newer recruits, and often led to unwanted disobedience.

"Yes I suppose so," I agreed.

"I want to thank you for coming to that presentation. I know it wasn't your favorite use of your time, but I'm glad you came."

"Yeah don't mention it," I said bluntly.

"I have to do the official demonstration of my weapon this evening, Acacia, so what is it?" he asked impatiently.

"Right," I snapped out of my own thoughts. "I just— why did you let the boy live?"

"Pardon?"

"The boy we met in Elpys, Silas. Why did you let him live? Our resonation device clearly showed that an intense resonation had taken place minutes before we arrived. As the only form of life in that vicinity, it was quite clear that he was the one who caused it. So why did you allow him to keep his life after he lied to us?"

"The boy was a pitiful liar, but of course he lied to us. We were foreigners he'd never met in uniform holding guns much bigger than he'd ever seen in a cave that no one dared to enter. He would've had to have been an idiot not to."

"But why didn't you stop him there?" I persisted.

"Because we will be testing my new weapon against an intensively strong blade tomorrow. I can't just have two rivals fight because I tell them to," he answered.

"You... what?! If he really did find the Aegis, and it battles your creation, then that entire facility won't be able to take that battle!" I warned.

"Relax, the Aegis of light cannot use her true power inside of a building, it's too destructive. She knows this, and I know this. There will be no issue."

"You seem so sure he's coming. You have confirmation, don't you?" I interrogated.

"With as rarely as the passenger train leaves Leftheria this time of year, it wasn't difficult. Is that all, Colonel?"

"Yes, I suppose so."

"Good, the girl who left my office before you is currently in her office on floor 149, west wing, office number 52898. Please send her this way."

"Wilco," I responded before leaving.

We walked out into the train station, and then we were immediately lost.

"This place is so massive!" I exclaimed.

"That's an understatement, this is just one building! Where the hell did this architectural prowess come from? They weren't building things half this impressive a few hundred years ago..."

The building was indeed massive. Inside of the station, a couple hundred stores decorated the inside with souvenirs, food, clothing, household necessities, pretty much anything you'd need if you'd forgotten your luggage.

A man interrupted our thoughts as he walked up to us.

"Hello are you the young man from Leftheria? Silas?" he asked.

I put myself in between him and Mythra as a precautionary measure, she rolled her eyes, but I ignored her.

"Yes, what about it?"

"Your luggage is over here," he explained.

"Ah, thank you," I responded as we grabbed our things.

"You gonna act jumpy every time someone comes up to us?" Mythra asked teasingly.

"I don't know anything about this place and it's bigger than anything I've ever seen. This city is miles long and we've only seen one building. I'd rather play it safe than regret it later," I explained.

"Yeah but it's already apparent that I'm much stronger than you are, so why are you getting in front of me?"

"You asked me to guide you, did you not? You said that you needed my help?"

"Yes, what about it?"

"Well then I'm simply doing what you asked me to do. Once we get your memories, you can finally decide what you'd like to do afterwards and we'll be on our separate ways."

She laughed.

"What's wrong? What's so funny?" I asked defensively.

"I'm sorry, continue on, it's nothing."

She grabbed Granny's cloak out of the bag and covered herself so you couldn't see her core crystal or her clothing.

I stared at her briefly before we made our way out of the building, which took a good fifteen minutes, as the building had small mini-trains called trams to escort us to different parts of the building. I couldn't believe what I was seeing, I already felt homesick.

https/youtu.be/dfk-dQceR3Y

We walked out into an open street made of a glistening green metal. I looked at the vehicles around, people would get in the doors than opened upwards over their heads, shut the doors, and then these vehicles would create a blue under-glow as they'd float off the ground and take off at incomprehensible speeds.

"What the hell are these things?!" Mythra asked aloud.

A random person to our right commented. "Those are vesses. It's short for titan-less vessel. You guys aren't from around here are you?"

The man was wearing a suit and a tie with a confident smirk. A girl much shorter than him with black hair and cute black cloak with the hood down was standing next to him.

"You got us," I laughed. "We're from Leftheria."

"My, my! That's so far away! What're you doing way over here?" he asked.

"Well...," I realized that I needed to make up a quick story so that I wouldn't expose Mythra as an Aegis. "My... friend has just become a new driver and needs my help to get his blade's journal so that his blade can get her memories back."

"Oh? And where is this blade? Or this driver?" he interrogated.

"They stayed home, couldn't leave the farm. Sent me and my... erm... girlfriend to do it," I said, against my better judgement. I watched Mythra try to hold in her laughter.

"Well they don't usually give away that information without the blade and driver both present, but best of luck to you both. The building is the tallest one at the center of New Torna," he waved as he walked off.

"You two make a really cute couple!" The little girl that was next to him chirped.

Mythra took no time in responding. "Oh why thank you sweetie!" she exaggerated, putting her hand on my shoulder. "My boy over here is the absolute GREATest!"

She giggled back.

"Kasandra come, we must be on our way!" the man said.

"Coming master!" she said as she skipped away, following him.

Mythra looked at me, as if waiting for me to say something.

"Yeah no, not gonna dignify whatever that was with a response. You look too far different from me to say you were my sister so I went with the easiest route, that's all."

"Oh come on, she said we looked ADORABLE!" she teased.

"Come on Mythra, we've got things to do," I said, walking off.

She laughed as she followed me, continuing to make jokes about it.

We soon made our way to the Blade Registration Headquarters, which was simply the bottom two floors of a 150-floor beast of a building called the Blade Control Corp HQ.

"Why is every single building so intimidatingly large?!" I complained.

"Don't worry, 'babe', I'll protect you from the scary doors!" Mythra laughed.

I tried to give her an ugly look, but I ended up laughing along.

I sighed. "Let's just get this done with."

Readability Level: 11th-12th Grade

Time Taken: 2.5 Hours

Please do not use without permission. All artwork is not mine and credit goes to the artist.


	9. Chapter IX

Book I Finale

Chapter IX

"Yes, hello, I need to retrieve my blade's personal journal," I said to the lady attending the large library on the first floor of the BCCHQ.

"So you will be registering your blade with us today?" she asked condescendingly.

"I guess? I don't know, I'm from Leftheria and was told this was the place to go."

"Ah, I see. Let me see your blade's core crystal," she demanded.

I moved out of the way so that Mythra could move her cloak out of the way, revealing her emerald core crystal.

She looked at me skeptically. "This isn't a funny prank."

"Prank?" I asked. "Her name is Mythra."

"Haha very funny," she said sarcastically. "The emerald crystal is the 'sign of the Aegis'. I know all that malarkey."

Mythra pulled her sword and lit it aflame for all to see as the attendant immediately jumped back out of surprise. Mythra then returned the sword to its hilt.

Startled, the woman quickly regained her poise as she spoke into an intercom. "We have a blade here of immense power demanding her journal, the journal code is MYT-AEG-123 and will need to be brought immediately. Please also ready the nullifier."

"Nullifier?" Mythra and I asked simultaneously.

"In order for you to have legal possession of this blade, it will need to be limited in power. We have a device that will cause this blade to look just like any other common blade and limit its power. This will make it safe and prevent unnecessary attention."

"Mythra is a she, and what do you say Mythra?" I asked, turning to her.

"Is it reversible? Like if I left New Torna and back into territory crawling with monsters?" Mythra asked.

"You will revert upon the death of your driver, when you return to your core crystal. There are no monsters that can't be taken care of by our police force."

"Well if we're just trying to get your memories back, surely there can't be that much harm?" I asked with uncertainty.

"We cannot give you 'her' journal unless she undergoes this process," the girl stated.

"I leave it to you Mythra," I concluded.

She thought for a moment before whispering to me. "When I come out, ask me about events that happened right before we walked in here. Make sure it's actually me and they're not trying something."

"Understood."

Mythra then nodded as she disappeared into the back behind a large, metal employee-only door and I was brought her journal.

I looked at the cover, it was interesting. The cover was black with gold bits all over it. It has a multicolored flame design in the middle, and at the very center was an artistic pattern. It looked really beautiful, but didn't seem like something Mythra would've used. I didn't know her well, but I felt she'd pick more white and gold than black and blue.

Out of curiosity, I opened to the beginning. It started talking about events that took place a thousand years back, but it didn't seem like something Mythra would write. The writing was such a delicate cursive and definitely written in a way that displayed curtesy and properness, something that I didn't think Mythra would've comprehended on this level. And it didn't help that the journal started with "My name is Brighid..."

After about thirty minutes, a lady came forward and brought out a female blade. I hadn't seen a common blade before, but she looked very mechanical. A metal gray color, with glowing blue eyes and her weapon was a katana. Something struck me as off.

"Hello... Mythra. How are you feeling?" I asked.

"Much better now. Carrying that much power all the time is so burdening," she responded. She even sounded just like Mythra.

"So do you remember what we were talking about before we got in here?" I questioned.

"You called me your girlfriend you dumbass," she laughed.

This was unsettlingly accurate.

"So who wrote this journal?"

"I did, every word!" she said proudly.

https/youtu.be/anuAekXi13M

I stood silently before I drew my gun and shot an earth-type bullet through the employee-only door and stormed in, drawing my sword and setting it ablaze.

The woman who was helping me originally jumped in surprise. I pointed my flaming sword to her neck.

"Where is she?"

"I... have no idea what you're talking about!"

she said, as she tried to hit a security switch.

Immediately I shot the switch, causing her to draw her hand back and scream. I grabbed her by the collar and lifted her up before waving my gun in her face.

"I'm not asking again. Where. Is. Mythra?" I yelled.

She struggled before finally bending. "She's in the back, third door on the left. They're trying to ship her out as we speak. P-Please don't kill me!"

I saw the fear in her eyes and I dropped her, hugged her, as I felt bad because I knew she had just been doing her job, and then I ran off as quickly as possible.

I counted the doors before seeing a few grown men run out rolling a hospital bed covered in a sheet. I immediately shot all four of them in their legs and pulled it back to find Mythra passed out.

"What did you do to her?!" I yelled.

"She'll be awake in a few hours!" one of them yelled out in pain.

I looked at her and touched her core crystal and a hopeful attempt that she'd wake up. Fortunately she did.

She jumped up and pulled her sword angrily.

"Mythra, I'm right here, you're safe now," I said in an effort to calm her.

She breathed deeply. "They uploaded my memories into another blade before forcing it to resonate. How did you know it wasn't me?"

I help up her journal. "Did you write this?"

"I'm not sure, I'd have to read through it."

"That's why," I explained. "The common blade said she'd written every word, but I knew you didn't have complete memories, so you wouldn't have been able to say that definitely without having checked yourself."

"So... my broken memories just saved my tail?"

"Appears so," I laughed.

Before we could get our heads straight, a loud alarm went off, and we quickly realized we didn't have long.

Immediately the doors and windows were shut with metal security doors.

"We gotta get up a few floors and fast," she said as we quickly ran up to an elevator.

"Shit! It requires some sort of card thing!" I realized.

Before we could decide what to do next, the elevator opened and an employee walked right by us.

She jumped in the elevator, but the only button we were allowed to hit was floor fifty.

"I don't like this," I cautioned.

"Well let's see what we're up against then,"

Mythra challenged as she hit the button.

The elevator rushed up, it has a large glass window, and through it, we could see all of New Torna as we ascended above it. Off into the distance I could see four statues. Two were little girls, one had long hair and looked familiar, but the other has short hair and a beret. One was of a tall woman, holding two odd looking swords, and the last was a short-haired man.

"Do you recognize any of those statues?" I asked Mythra.

"The small girl in the beret and the tall woman. I can't remember either of their names though...," Mythra said as she started reading the journal.

Her eyes grew wide as she looked within. "Brighid! The tall woman's name is Brighid! But why do I know that...?"

"Do you remember any of your previous drivers?" I questioned.

She nodded. "I remember Rex, and how I felt about him. But any others would be a mystery."

"So neither Addam nor Waylon, huh?" I questioned further.

She shook her head.

"That's weird, Waylon was her driver after Rex, why would she remember Rex and not Waylon?" I thought to myself, however my thoughts were interrupted when the elevator came to a stop and we walked out.

"Where are we now?" Mythra asked before something else caught my eye.

"Colonel Acacia?" I said in surprise at seeing a familiar face in the middle of this mostly-empty room.

"Ah yes, you were the boy from Elpys. You're right on time," she responded simply.

I pulled my sword and it immediately lit aflame. "We don't want trouble. How do we get out of here?"

"The only way out of here is through me. Defeat me and the exit is through the hallway behind me. Think you're up to the task boy?"

https/youtu.be/q-ZWPt9Ht44

"Don't you know who I am? I doubt you have what it takes to beat us," Mythra snarked.

"I guess there's only one way to find out, huh?" Acacia said threateningly.

"I suppose so," I said, readying my blade.

Mythra drew her blade. "You can still run... if you want."

Acacia smiled as she got pumped up. "Not a chance."

She pulled out her sub machine gun and let loose a large amount of earth bullets. Mythra blocked them by summoning her ether shield.

"Look, we don't have to kill her, we just need to get her out of the way!" Mythra told me.

"Right, let's do this!" I said before rushing her.

She pulled her short sword and we parried a few times before she kicked me back. Mythra lunged in behind me, and despite the obvious weight difference between Acacia's and Mythra's swords, Mythra still swung her sword faster, knocking Acacia back.

"Just give up now!" Mythra offered.

"Don't assume you have me so easily beat!" Acacia said as she pulled a container-looking device off of her belt, pulled the pin on it, and threw it at Mythra.

Mythra ducked underneath as it flew above her face, and I blew up right in front of her. However, the device did no damage.

"Was that a dud?" I asked in confusion.

"Was it?" Acacia answered with another question.

"Silas I can't see!" Mythra yelled as she regained her footing. "Whatever that thing did disabled my sight!"

Acacia immediately threw a new clip into her gun. "Let's see you fight without your precious blade."

I immediately jumped behind Mythra as Acacia fired a round at me.

"Mythra! Shield in front!" I commanded.

She threw up a shield and the fire bullets bounced off.

I pulled my pistol, which still had earth bullets in it from earlier, jumped out from behind Mythra and shot Acacia square in the leg.

The force blew her through the air and she landed flat one her face and went unconscious.

Mythra could finally see again, as the effects of the flash wore off.

"Nice shot," Mythra complemented, but I ignored it as I flipped Acacia over and ripped off the pant leg of where I shot her.

"What're you doing?!" Mythra asked in shock.

"This bullet could kill her if we leave it in, we need to extract it, luckily her pant leg was bullet resistant and it's not too deep, but I definitely broke her leg. Hand me those gloves by the sink."

Mythra looked around for the first time and realized that we were in a testing facility, it was decorated with lab coats, medical supplies, and surgical instruments. She grabbed a pair of rubber gloves and handed them to me. She also gave me a pair of forceps and I carefully pulled out the bullet.

"That's pretty impressive," Mythra commented.

"That means you know less about what I'm doing then I do, I probably ruptured something, I'm not an expert. At least now she won't die from lead poisoning though," I replied.

"More guards will be here any second, let's get a move on."

I nodded and we ran down the hall to find yet another elevator. We rushed in and saw that there was only one button lit yet again.

"B10...," I read.

"What does the 'B' mean?" Mythra questioned.

"How am I supposed to know? I learned what an elevator was yesterday," I laughed.

"Colonel!" some guards shouted in the distance.

"Well no use dwelling on it now, let's go!" Mythra said, hitting the button as the elevator began going down.

This elevator was inside the building this time, so there was no window or nice view to enjoy. Just an empty metal shell hurling us to an unknown location.

"I think I know what the 'B' means now," Mythra noted.

"What?"

She pointed at the monitor that displayed what floor we were on and I realized that we were below floor one.

"Basement!" we both said in unison.

The door opened and we walked out into a large room. Not just a large room, a massive room, it was easily a few hundred feet in diameter and another few hundred feet tall, it looked like some sort of high-tech arena, with large lights and metal walls and floors.

As we walked out, we stood face to face with the large man I had met back in Spirit Crucible Elpys, General Adonis.

"You're right on time boy. You're just in time to test my new weapon," he said threateningly.

https/youtu.be/hwebAhgpnxw

"Aegis Weapon Six Seven P, please reveal yourself," Adonis said simply.

"Of course, General," a female's voice said with a giggle as a woman in a cloak walked forward, throwing her cloak off.

"This is a weapon I have designed. It has the power of an Aegis and you will be the test subjects for it," he explained bluntly.

The woman wore bright red colors, had a green, cross-shaped core crystal, and short red hair with stunning red eyes. Her core crystal looked just like Mythra's...

"Did they design that core crystal based off of yours?" I asked Mythra.

"Looks like it, although she looks like a cheap knockoff more than anything," Mythra shot.

"My name is Pyra," the woman said. "Within myself is the power of an Aegis, something I'm sure you're familiar with, yes?"

"Maybe a little. I'm Silas, this is Mythra, the real Aegis," I responded.

"THAT's the Aegis? With what she's wearing? She looks like a slut, and not one you pay much money for at that."

Mythra growled at her.

Pyra giggled. "Oh and no manners either, what a shame. Probably one of those broken sex dolls that leaves all the men she sleeps with crying and confused."

"Enough," Mythra said as she pulled her sword.

"Quite," Pyra giggled again as she pulled her own sword. It was bright red and shot a blade of fire. It was reminiscent of Mythra's blade, but not quite the same.

Immediately they clashed. Pyra slashed a few times, but Mythra dodged it easily. Mythra retaliated with a few of her own attacks, and Pyra countered and parried. Each slice from Pyra's sword left a trail of fire, and Mythra's left bright light, when they collided, sparks and smoke would fly off.

Pyra went to slice Mythra's neck, but Mythra narrowly dodged by ducking backwards and landing on her hands. She then threw her legs up and kicked Pyra back onto the ground, knocking the sword out of Pyra's hand. Mythra also used the kick to launch herself back up before jumping once again, landing with her feet by Pyra's torso. She took her sword and went to drive it straight in her core crystal.

Pyra quickly caught the metal part of Mythra's Aegis sword and held it back before she lifted her legs and spun them around, forcing Mythra to jump off. Pyra quickly ran and grabbed her sword before they both collided intensely enough to send them both back to their drivers.

"Pyra, status report," General Adonis requested.

"She's a toughie. Even in this setting she's much faster than I am. Her driver on the other hand..."

"Affirmative," he responded before taking out his large automatic rifle, letting loose a well above-average fifty rounds per second.

Mythra casually walked in front me and sliced every bullet out of the air with her sword.

"Pull your sword Silas, don't hold back," Mythra said.

"Right," I responded, lighting my sword ablaze.

"No good, she's an artificial fire blade, use a water gem," Mythra instructed.

"Oh, yeah," I said, quickly changing gems. My sword was instantly covered in an aura of water, it looked very interesting, the water rushing around the blade, but now was hardly the time.

Adonis pulled his two-handed claymore, and it began to glow with a dark aura.

I went for Adonis, and Mythra returned to battle with Pyra.

At first I wasn't too worried, a big claymore like that would be impossible for him to use efficiently, but I soon realized I was sorely mistaken.

I took a swing and he parried it, and before I could swing again he was already halfway done with his next strike, I narrowly parried it. He had swung that sword much faster than Acacia had swung her one-handed sword. He slammed it into my blade, causing me to stagger backwards as I had to recover my balance.

"Mythra! Switch!" I yelled.

She seemed confused. "Right," she responded as we swapped targets, placing me on Pyra and her on Adonis.

I clashed against Pyra, who was much more manageable... or so I thought, she was still extremely fast, but with a lighter sword. The water element also seemed to help a bit.

"The hell are these two?" I heard Mythra yell out of frustration. Apparently even her speed wasn't fast enough.

"Out of your element dearie?" Pyra laughed.

"Out of your... was that a pun?" I asked in confusion.

Pyra winked before slamming her sword into mine, sending me flying backwards.

Mythra jumped backwards, landing next to me. "Yeah it was," Mythra explained. "I can't use my full power while in a building like this, otherwise I'll cave this whole place in. It also prevents me from drawing enough energy to move at my top speed. We're sitting ducks here, we gotta leave."

"Not to disagree, but where do you want to go, we're stuck under the ground!"

"Not quite, I noticed a skylight-type window on the other side of this arena, if I can grab you and jump through it, we should be able to get to the top floor easy."

"Why the top floor?"

"The rest are probably covered in guards."

"Fair point, but they'll never let us get close easily," I pointed out.

"Agreed, but I think you can piece together a distraction, don't you think?"

I loaded some light element bullets into my gun. "I might have an idea."

Mythra grabbed her sword and began dragging her sword around her in a circle as she began spinning rapidly and dragging her sword on the ground as Adonis and Pyra closed in, causing a large cloud of smoke to surface.

I shot the light bullet onto the ground, causing a large flash of light to erupt into the room, blinding both of them.

Mythra grabbed Pyra and slammed her into Adonis, causing both of them to fall as we both ran. As soon as we were below the window, Mythra shot a blade of light through, causing the glass to shadow.

"Let's go!" she commanded as she grabbed me tightly and used a light blast from her sword to launch us upwards. As we ascended, Mythra cut through the floors and continued to jump through them. She cut through them in a specific manner so that minimal rubble fell and the building's integrity wasn't compromised.

"Oh no you don't!" Pyra shouted as a ball of fire emerged from below her.

I looked down to see her rapidly flying upwards towards us, sword ready.

"Mythra! Grab my right hand and my ankle and keep going!" I said, throwing myself from her.

She used her legs to lock my foot into place and grabbed my right wrist as I dangled dangerously, drawing my sword and getting ready to clash.

Using one hand, I clashed against her, the water coming off my blade wasn't weakening her much, but it was just enough, as I quickly flicked my wrist and slammed my blade into her side, causing her to plummet back down. This also caused my blade to shatter.

"Shit!" I yelled.

The moment she hit the ground, she reignited and jumped towards us again, this time Adonis was with her.

"Mythra if you're gonna do something do it now!" I warned.

"Got it!" she said as we soared through the roof of the building. We looked down to see the giant city below us.

Pyra and Adonis landed on top of the building, waiting for us to come down.

Mythra concentrated as her core crystal, the green gem on the tiara in her head, and the green flower in her hair began glowing intensely. I then realized we weren't falling, she was floating in the air.

"Siren, do you read me?" she asked to no one as I watched in curiosity.

I turned and watched as a beam of light shot down from the sky, striking Adonis and Pyra directly and sending them tumbling down through the building. Mythra then grabbed me so that I was no longer dangling and she launched herself through the air well outside the city and we fell into large lake.

The impact caused her to black out and I was forced to carry her back. The only problem was that I didn't know how to swim and had an intense fear of deep water.

I started thrashing about, somehow making it to dry land while dragging Mythra behind me. It was a good thing blade's didn't require oxygen, or else she'd have drowned. I probably also kicked her a few times in my desperate attempt at movement.

Mythra soon stirred and shot up.

"Did we survive?" she asked quickly.

"I think so?" I answered with uncertainty.

She immediately punched me in the side.

"Ow?!"

"That's a yes then," she laughed. "You weren't half bad there, kiddo."

"Yeah whatever at least we got your journal," I responded.

"Let's get back to Leftheria, I imagine they'll be sending people after the stunt we just pulled."

"We can't go by train, there's only one railway to get there," I pointed out.

"Yeah but we could always use a titan ship!" she suggested.

"Have you even seen any titans capable of flight since you woke up?"

"Now that you mention it..."

"Well let's just go see what we can find."

"I want you to know that it's your fault they got away. Why can't you do anything right you stupid bitch?!" a voice said before I heard a large smacking sound and something hit the floor.

I stirred awake. Where was I?

The door opened and General Adonis, Lieutenant Uzuki, and Pyra walked through.

General Adonis seemed angry, my sister seemed cheery as always, and Pyra looked like she was about to cry.

"Colonel Acacia, are you alright?" General Adonis asked.

"I've been hit harder...," I stated. "You have my apologies for not succeeding to subdue the criminals."

My sister gave me a shit-eating grin, I chose to ignore it.

"You were neither prepared nor expected to succeed. Not with the arsenal I provided you. I simply needed you to fight them to gain data for Pyra and you're new weapon that I designed for you to use," he explained.

"New weapon?"

"The perpetrators will either head to the Kingdom of Tantal or the Leftherian Archipelago. Lieutenant Uzuki, get yourself prepared with yellow traps and plenty of ammo, then station yourself in Theosoir, Tantal. Colonel Acacia, the nanobots should finish healing you in the next hour. See me in the briefing hangar for your new weapon."

"What is the weapon called?"

He laughed. "It's a Kosmos Obey Strategical Multiple Operation System, abbreviated and designated, KOS-MOS."

Readability Level: 11th-12th Grade

Time Taken: 7 Hours

Please do not use without permission. All artwork is not mine and credit goes to the artist.


	10. Chapter X

Book II: Of Friends and Foes

Chapter X

Surprisingly, there actually was a titan ship dock on the Waylon River. It was well outside of New Torna, but as we left we noticed that our pictures were being broadcasted everywhere on all the TV screens, so we both knew there'd be no easy way of going back into the city. I quickly purchased a sword identical to my last one before we left.

"Too bad we didn't spend more time in that city, there must have been so much to do...," Mythra pondered.

"Agreed," I responded, but there was something else on my mind.

"Mythra?"

"What's up?"

"When we fell out of that tower, you took the hit when he hit the water."

"Of course, I can heal instantly, you can't," she teased.

"I know that, but... didn't it hurt? I know you're resilient but you went out like a light!"

"Of course I feel pain. That one definitely hurt like a son of a gun, but I'd rather do that than let you die."

"Guess I should keep a closer eye on you then," I laughed

"Well, I have been known for getting into trouble from time to time."

"Also what was with that thing when you're core crystals started glowing and a literal beam of light came down from the sky?"

"It's an ability I can only use outdoors and in extreme cases only. I simply used it so that they'd be too blinded to see where we fell. With Pyra being an artificial weapon... I couldn't exactly force her into her core crystal."

"You can do that?"

"There's a lot I can do."

Eventually we found the person in charge of the titan ship yard.

"Hello sir, can we get a transport to the Leftherian Archipelago?"

"Meh meh!" the nopon man exclaimed, as nopon often did when excited or surprised. "That such a long journey, would cost fortune! It be much smarter to go to Argentum and take train!"

"Oh," I said thoughtfully. "We'll do that then!"

After paying the fee, he led us back into a ship yard and loaded us onto one of the titan ships. Titans were very large creatures, in fact, there were some said to be the size of continents five hundred years ago, but when this massive new continent in the middle of the sea was discovered, the largest titans plowed into it, making this vast continent even larger. However, today's titans, while still massive, weren't nearly that big. Most simply walked the continent as animals, but there were still quite a few that could fly or swim great distances, these were made into titan ships.

The type of titan ship would depend on shape and method of travel the titan used. Long, flat titans that traveled by swimming were labeled "Titanback Vessels". These titans had a large wooden structure built on top of this titan, and were secured using poles, columns, ropes, and nails attached to the titan. While this did in fact cause pain to the titan, it was never anything close to fatal or endangering to its well-being. After the titan had served for a few hundred years, the wooden ship would be scrapped and the titan would go live in peace for however many hundreds of years it had left.

Other titans that travelled by air were deemed "Airtitan Vessels". These titans would work kind of like hot-air balloons and they could carry a LOT more weight than your average Titanback. So massive wooden structures were built and the attached to the titan via ropes, chains and wooden supports, this is how the Argentum Trade Guild used to operate before it became the Argentum Gambling District under Juliani.

Our ship happened to be an Airtitan Vessel, as was common for commercial transport, due to the amount of weight it could support and the fact that most of the way would be by land and not by sea. However, before we could board the ship, two strangers stopped us on the docks.

"You're gonna have to stop there fiend," he said. I soon realized that this was the same man and woman we'd seen just before entering the BCCHQ. They were both wearing cloaks now... and I wasn't one hundred percent sure why the man was, as we had met earlier and he had on a simple suit and tie.

He yanked off his cloak to reveal his body. He had longer, dark grey hair, his eyes were a dark, deep blue, almost purple. He was about as tall as I was, and had a proud demeanor. He was extremely muscular and his outfit displayed that well with a hole cut out so that you could see a good portion of his chest and almost all of his arms. However his legs were completely covered.

The girl also took off her cloak, revealing herself as a blade. She looked rather cute, with black hair that went down to her rear, and bright pink eyes. Her outfit was a full body black and blue skirt with what seemed like white strips stitched over it in a lattice fashion. It was short-sleeved, but she had leggings and forearm covers/gloves that were reminiscent of mummy wrappings. Her fingers and toes had claws, and fixed to the back of her head was a white fox mask with red eyes and it emitted a strange dark aura. It had long ears that faced upwards, but on the back of her head it simply made her look like she had ears.

She held our her hands as a large, two-handed club appeared in it. She threw it over to the man, who then proceeded to point it in my direction.

"That weapon is a shield hammer," Mythra informed. "It provides the driver with slow, defensive stance while being able to dish out some nasty damage. You're best bet as an attacker is to dodge and attack, if you parry, you're whole body might get knocked over."

I nodded.

"Are you trying to turn Mythra into some sort of weapon too?" I asked him.

"I am the great hero of Alrest! Well known throughout my land I am the great guardian Gabriel! And this is my blade, the luckiest charm in the universe, Kasandra!" he introduced as they both made silly poses together in unison. He also seemed to deliberately ignore my question.

"Why does this seem so familiar?" Mythra pondered aloud.

"Do you know him?"

"No, but I recognize that attitude..."

"We're gonna take you in whether you like it or not, so you'd best surrender now!" Gabriel warned.

Mythra laughed. "Don't think it'll be so easy."

The mask on the back of Kasandra's head began to make a rattling sound, and storm clouds billowed in

"Last chance!" Kasandra giggled out.

I drew my sword and rushed Gabriel, he took note and drew Kasandra's club and we clashed. The sheet weight of the club threw me back a bit and he went to swing again, narrowly missing me.

"I told you not to parry that dumbass," Mythra scolded.

"Yeah, yeah, I forgot!"

Gabriel let out a long laugh. "Now time to show you what that great Gabriel can do!"

Immediately, lightning from the clouds struck the dock underneath them, destroying that portion of the dock and causing both Kasandra and Gabriel to fall into the river and they both drifted away.

Mythra and I both gawked in amazement before she walked ahead of me.

"Come on, let's go. No use waiting for him."

"Are they... gonna be alright?"

"Trust me when I say they'll be fine," Mythra smirked as I followed her onto the ship and we set off for the Argentum Gambling District.

Readability Level: 11th-12th Grade

Time Taken: 3 Hours

Please do not use without permission. All artwork is not mine and credit goes to the artist.


	11. Chapter XI

Book II: Of Friends and Foes

Chapter XI

"KOS-MOS, what's the probability that Silas and Mythra will head through here?" I asked.

"From the information that I have gathered, Master Acacia, I detect a seventy six point eight three three percent probability that the targets will enter through here versus going to Tantal," she responded in her robotic, monotone voice.

KOS-MOS was interesting to me. Her hair was blue while her eyes were red. She wore a completely white... body suit? It all looked like amour, while her skin and features looked like a tall, slender female, if seemed she was covered in all kinds of metal plates and her face had a large metal helmet covering her forehead. You'd think some big, bulky piece of metal would make her look uglier or bulkier, but for some reason it suited her very well.

"How will we know they're here? This place is pretty packed," I pointed out.

"Indeed. The large crowd decreases the chance of identifying the target by seventy-five percent. However, because we know that the Argentum-Leftheria train is the only vessel that travels to and from Leftheria, we can simply wait for the train to depart, and then wait for it to come back. If the target is not on the vessel when it returns, we simply take the train back and engage the enemy there."

"Good plan, I'll leave it to you then, I'm going to get a drink," I responded, it had been a long day.

"I do not advise getting drunk at this time, there is a chance the target could spot you, and you would not be at full fighting capacity," KOS-MOS warned.

"I'm aware, I said 'a drink'. I won't go crazy."

"Affirmative."

As I walked to the bar, I couldn't help but laugh. "Whatever, Mom," I laughed to myself.

I would've taken a moment to describe the ship ride, but I didn't remember any of it as Mythra and I both passed out in a not-so-graceful manner for the entire seven-hour trip. The fight with Pyra had been a tough one, and we hadn't had a chance to really rest since then. Soon, one of the shipmates knocked on the door to our bunker and let us know we'd be docking in twenty minutes.

So we did what any person on a time-crunch did and slept another five minutes before lazily getting up and gathering are belongings. However, as we worked I couldn't get something off my mind.

"Mythra, do you remember your last driver's name?"

She looked at me, confused. "Didn't you ask me a similar question? Rex was."

"No, I'm referring to the one after him."

"There was one after him?" she questioned.

"I guess that journal hasn't helped much at all, huh?"

"I've read a good bit, but it's all this other blade's, not my own writing. However it does talk about the blade before Rex, Addam."

"Any memories?" I asked.

"A few, sole happy, some annoyed. But no real pictures to these feelings," she responded.

I was going to ask her more, but my brain quickly switched gears as I recalled something.

"That man! Gabriel!"

"What about him?"

"When Kasandra summoned her weapon, he wielded it himself," I pointed out.

"So?"

"Why? Is that a fighting style? How would she defend herself?"

"That is kind of weird...," Mythra began to ponder. "However at the same time I think we both know that didn't work out well for him."

"True, but I can't help but feel there was a method to that that we just didn't see."

"I'm sure we'll see him again, he was hunting us down, after all."

Pretty soon the boat docked and we took off through Argentum.

We stocked up on food and bullets, which was easy thanks to Juliani's bracelet, and soon we were waiting for the train. As we waited, however, a familiar nopon came running up to us.

"Rafi remember you people! Friends were with Juliani when you arrived!"

I didn't quite remember him, but Mythra did immediately.

"Hey Rafi, how's the engineering going?"

"Not good, I'm afraid," he responded.

"Oh, what happened?"

"Rafi kind of decided to make improvement to Miss Juliani's sink by installing device that uses vacuum to suck water out of bowl for recycling purposes!"

"That sounds like it could be efficient, what happened?" I inquired.

"Rafi switched the intake valve and it end up blowing sewage water all over the place and flooded an inch of water on Juliani's floor."

Mythra held back her laughter. "That's terrible, but kind of funny."

"Rafi would think it funny too, except Juliani, not so much," he said. "Rafi need to get out of Argentum fast so Rafi doesn't get head chopped off like the grassy end of meaty carrot!"

I felt bad for him, but there wasn't much I could do.

"Simple, come with us to Leftheria. I doubt she'd follow you that far and I'm there has to be some simple jobs you could do to keep food on your table," Mythra suggested.

"Mythra, we're getting chased ourselves. Are you sure this is a good idea?" I asked.

"Blade's intuition," she replied.

I nodded. "If you're sure."

But as she said that, I immediately remembered who this nopon was.

"Oh! You were right about that government conspiracy, by the way."

"Rafi... what?" he asked, puzzled.

"We'll explain on the way back, the train's ready," Mythra pointed out.

KOS-MOS went into the bar in search of Acacia, who had been gone for over six hours. The targets had already left a few hours ago, so the only question left was "where's Acacia?". She searched the town, soon finding her in a bar fight with six men. She had obviously previously knocked out three.

"Come on! Is that all you got you slimy bastards?!" she yelled out.

"Master Acacia, this sort of behavior is in grave violation of the Blade Control Corp—" KOS-MOS began to scold, before Acacia cut her off.

"Whatever, I know how to have a good time!" Acacia retorted.

"Do not act like a child, Miss Uzuki. And you," KOS-MOS stayed, turning to the six men fighting her. "Back away now or I will be forced to take immediate action."

They looked at each other in surprise before laughing hysterically.

"This cutie pie thinks she can take on all of us. You got some nerve ya daft broad. But what's to stop us from taking you down and rapin' ya right here?" one asked.

"Other than the fact that I possess no form of reproductive organs, I would have to argue that my R-Cannon might correct your mistakes."

"What tha' 'ell is she talkin' 'bout?" another said.

Immediately, KOS-MOS' right arm changed shape into a cylindrical white cannon in which she fired at one of the men, grazing the side of his face.

He let out a grunt of pain. "Is that all you got?"

"Of course not. That was a two percent output that I purposely missed as a warning shot. Your face will have minor first degree burns. Taunt me or Miss Uzuki again and I'll see that the next shot doesn't."

"Boss I don't think she's playin', let's scram!" a third yelled.

Luckily the shot was loud enough to sober them for a bit and they all nodded and left.

"What's your problem buzzkill?!" Acacia asked.

"It is time to go Master Acacia," KOS-MOS stated.

"Like hell it is! I—"

KOS-MOS punched her in the head knocking her out and then proceeded to take her to the inn for the night.

Readability Level: 11th-12th Grade

Time Taken: 3 Hours

Please do not use without permission. All artwork is not mine and credit goes to the artist.


	12. Chapter XII

Book II: Of Friends and Foes

Chapter XII

"General Adonis! Can you tell us more about the man and blade that broke free of your testing facility yesterday?" the newswoman asked Adonis on the television screen.

"Absolutely. This blade is an extremely powerful blade that was crystal edited. The blade will only attack if provoked and the man with her is just one of our illogical employees who got in over his head. According to our reports, he assumed that he can use this blade as a weapon of mass murder. However, this is not the case. The blade will not attack unless provoked. If you see this man or this blade, calmly call the BCC and we will be there immediately. Simply leave the area and you will be in no danger. Whatever you do, do not provoke the blade or this man," Adonis warned.

"Do you think this man may force the blade out of its editing?" the newswoman inquired.

"Crystal editing has never proven to be undoable, this man is simply an idiot."

"And what of the artificial Aegis?"

"Final testing has been completed. The weapon known as Pyra is ready to be used in dangerous situations, it will be used in the hunt for this blade as it's first true test in real-world situations."

"That's great! And what is the endgame plan for Pyra? How will it help us in the long run?"

"Only time will tell."

KOS-MOS flipped off the television as she heard Acacia stir.

Acacia woke up and immediately held her head.

"You are currently experiencing a headache caused by the excess alcohol in your system from last night, commonly known as a hangover," KOS-MOS explained.

"I know what a damn hangover is, I've had one every day for the last week," Acacia dismissed.

"Intoxication during a BCC-designated mission is a Class Four violation of your duties," KOS-MOS pointed out.

"So what? Are you gonna tell on me?"

"Negative, it is not in my protocol to do so. But I must advise staying alert. We missed our opportunity to strike our targets here and will have to wait for the next train to follow them," KOS-MOS instructed.

"KOS-MOS how did we arrive here?"

"We arrived using General Adonis' Binoceros, a marginally slower, less powerful version of his ship, the Monoceros."

"I think the boy may take his time in Leftheria, let's use that instead of taking the train, it'll only be a three hour trip instead of a six hour one."

"Are you positive that our target will remain there?" KOS-MOS questioned.

"Yes. By the way, I have a bruise on my left temple, do you know what that was from?" Acacia asked.

"In order to ensure that you safely returned to your room, I had to render you unconscious before you made any more reckless decisions."

"You attacked without any order to do so? Are you programmed to act on your own? A simple machine shouldn't be able to do that... This doesn't make any sense! Should I be worried, confused, scared?"

"The algorithms I have been programmed with do not support the comprehension of illogical human thought."

Acacia looked at her, unsure of how to respond to this.

"Just... get loaded up, we leave immediately."

"Granny! We didn't die!" I called out as I knocked on her door.

"Well that's a relief," I heard her laugh as she opened it. "And with Brighid's journal, I knew you could do it."

"Well sort of...," Mythra added.

"What happened?" Granny asked in a way that let us know she expected something to happen.

"Well...," I began before I explained everything that happened. I told her about Argentum, Rafi, Juliani, Praxis, Theory, Acacia, Adonis, New Torna, and Pyra. I hadn't realized how much had happened until I began explaining it.

"The artificial weapon was named Pyra?" she clarified.

"Yeah, she definitely seemed to have been based off of me, but fire instead of light as her element," Mythra explained.

Granny laughed. "And you two really believe that she's artificial?"

"Is... she not?" I asked.

"If she isn't, this is scary. I don't know what that general did to make 'er act so rudely, let alone attack people with such ferocity," Granny pointed out.

"Rafi bet he could build artificial blade!" Rafi gloated from behind us.

"You wanna put your money where your mouth is furball?" Granny challenged.

Rafi didn't back down. "Of course! Does old Gormotti have artificial blade?"

Granny laughed in a way that made Rafi flinch a bit. "Call me old again and Juliani will be the least of your problems. But if you think you can fix an artificial blade, then I might have a job for you."

"Yippee! Rafi got job to do!" he said excitedly as we followed her into her work shed that I kept all my tools in.

She moved some stuff out of the way to see what appeared to be a little girl. She was definitely a robot, as her "hair" wasn't actually hair at all, but a metal casing that resembled hair. She wore a white beret with a red bow tied around it, and she had on some poofy shorts that resembled frilly bloomers, but were black and were obviously meant to be worn on the outside. The rest of her body was metallic gray with orange stripes placed around her different parts.

"Poor girl hasn't said a word in five hundred years," Granny said.

Rafi had already started looking at it before responding.

"She seem to have underwent heavy damage, but everything seems to be in perfect working order!" Rafi examined.

"So you can't figure it out either, eh? Man, Tora was so stumped, I guess it wouldn't be fair to expect someone who wasn't even involved in 'er design to fix the problem," Granny said.

"Rafi never said it was flawless. If everything repaired correctly, then Rafi wouldn't be able to tell blade was damaged, give Rafi some time!"

He urged us to leave, and so we did without hesitation. I had seen Granny go into that shed and heard her talking to that girl, but I had no idea that it ever lived. I just assumed she had a screw loose or something.

I realized I hadn't told her about Gabriel and Kasandra, and after doing so, I inquired about the way he used her weapon. Granny began laughing hysterically.

"You're telling me you don't know the Lorathian Combat Style? Not even after traveling all the way to New Torna? I thought you'd 'ave figured it out by now. Fighting separate from Mythra like you do isn't beneficial to either of you, and you make yourselves weaker by doing so."

"Who's Lora?" Mythra asked.

"It's late," Granny said, changing the subject. "Rest tonight, tomorrow I'll fill you in on as much as I can from the previous millennia."

We looked through a window at the sky and realized that it was already night, it had been so busy that neither Mythra nor I had paid attention to what time it was.

Readability Level: 11th-12th Grade

Time Taken: 3 Hours

Please do not use without permission. All artwork is not mine and credit goes to the artist.


	13. Chapter XIII

Book II: Of Friends and Foes

Chapter XIII

"This is... Corinne's' house, isn't it?" Mythra asked as we walked up to an extremely old house on the edge of Fonsett Village.

"Yes, it was. Rex wasn't around when she passed. But the kindness she showed to the children of Fonsett lives on through me, I guess. I never really thought of myself as someone who could take that role though," Granny laughed nervously.

Mythra sympathetically touched Granny's shoulder. "Well you did pretty good with this nerd, so you can't be doing too bad," she said, pointing in my direction as I rolled my eyes and chuckled nervously.

"He is kinda lazy though," Granny pointed out.

"Yeah but I don't think that's on you," Mythra continued.

"I'm right here for crying out loud!" I said defensively, while laughing. "Anyway, Corinne raised Rex, right?"

"Aye, but I'll get to that here in a bit. Let's all sit down and I'll tell you everything I should've told you already," Granny invited.

Corinne used to take care of any children without parents, and Granny had been doing that for Architect knows how long...

As we all sat down, Granny opened a very large book and simply began reading it, not looking up at us at all.

[Where it all Beganhttps/youtu.be/wE-g5pHhhpk]

"Long ago, we as a people lived in harmony atop a utopia known as Elysium. This place rested on the great tree known as the World Tree, which can be seen from anywhere on this continent. There, we all enjoyed life with the Architect, creator of the world. However, we were all cast out for a reason unknown at the time. We all scrambled for life, but mostly died out, as none of us could survive while constantly swimming and lost in the Cloud Sea. The Architect took pity on us and sent down his servants, the titans. These colossal creatures gave us ground beneath our feet and a true place we could call our home. The Architect also sent down core crystals, and any person who had the aptitude for resonation would be able to resonate with these core crystals and be able to partner themselves with these blades."

"I've never seen the Cloud Sea, is that on any map?" I asked.

She ignored me entirely as she kept reading. "One day, there was a man determined to meet the Architect, and he climbed to the top of the World Tree. This man became the first to see Elysium, but he was never permitted to see the Architect. However, he did take two core crystals that he found there. These core crystals were more powerful than any of what appeared on Alrest, and he commanded both of them. This man, Questar Amalthus, resonated with the amethyst core crystal, bringing to life the Aegis, Malos. During this time, there were a few nations. Namely Indol, Spessia, Judicium, Uraya, Torna, Coeia, and Mor Ardain. Mor Ardain had been rapidly gaining power at the time and a few people lived on the pleasant Tantal and Leftherian Archipelago. Judicium was destroyed and the Titan, known as Temperantia, was killed before Malos' awakening, no one truly knows the reason but it is believed that Indol was the reason for its destruction. Malos, under direct orders from the Questar, destroyed Coeia and sank it to the bottom of the Cloud Sea, where it was never seen again."

"He... what?!" Mythra gasped, yet Granny kept reading.

"Amalthus soon realized that there was no way he could control his own blade, and so he found someone to resonate with the other Aegis, the emerald core crystal. This man was Addam Origo, the Prince of Torna, fourth in line to the king. He was a man of the people, and he had their undying support. However, Addam simply wished to be a farmer of all things, and becoming the driver of the Aegis didn't help with that. He became the driver of Mythra, who was less than thrilled. Mythra, like Malos, simply saw no point in life, as humans would eventually die out anyway, she didn't see the point in trying to delay the inevitable. However, through Addam's careful hand and teachings, Mythra did finally begin to understand what life was supposed to mean. With them was the Tornan Knight Lora, wielder of the Paragon of Torna, Jin, one of history's most powerful blades and Haze, a blade that could restrict the powers of other blades and titans, and Emperor Hugo, emperor of Mor Ardain and wielder of Brighid and Aegaeon. Brighid was the Jewel of the Empire and Aegaeon was another of Mor Ardain's most powerful blades. Altogether, these heroes stopped Malos' tyranny and plunged him into the Cloud Sea. However, this did not come without cost."

"What do you mean?" Mythra questioned.

"During the fight, Malos attacked the capital city of Torna direct, causing many deaths, including of one Mythra truly did care about. In a fit of blind rage, her power changed, becoming a force that Addam himself could not control. Mythra gave her absolute all, and in doing so, she destroyed the entire titan, sinking Torna to the bottom of the Cloud Sea. This ended two different leader's reigns. Afterwards, when she regained her senses, she saw the body of the child she failed to protect, and she watched the Tornan titan cry in agony as it fell to its demise. Realizing now what her power meant, and knowing how dangerous she truly was, she fell, broken. With one agonized and tortured scream, she created a form that was unable to use her full power, a blade incapable of calling her artifice and only using Mythra's excess power. This blade was a fire element that Mythra named Pyra. And Addam locked her away and put her to sleep, where she'd remain for the next five hundred years."

"So that beam of light you used to blind Pyra and Adonis, that was your artifice?" I asked Mythra.

She nodded. "His name is Siren, he's a large robot that resides in space and issues attacks when and how I command him," she explained.

Granny continued. "During this time Questar Amalthus murdered almost every Indoline on Indol. He then took his place as Praetor. The Praetorium was a place known for always being in the will of the Architect, and being the Praetor was highly respected by all nations. It is said that the blue-skinned Indoline lived very long lives, but some also say that being a driver of the Aegis gave the driver a long life as well. While no one is entirely sure the true reason for his life, Amalthus would reign in this position for the next five hundred years. He is attributed with experimenting on blades and humans alike. He turned men into huge monsters, and when he wanted to, he'd fail it all on purpose and force these men into grotesque creatures that would cry and scream and laugh as they murdered anything in sight. Often drawing out the kills just to hear their victims scream while it'd play with their blood and guts. He knew that the remains of Addam's team had retreated to Spessia, and so he launched a full-on attack. In doing so, he killed Lora. Normally, when a driver dies, the blades that were resonated with the driver return to their core crystals, however, if a blade under heavy stress eats the driver's flesh or organs, this blade will become a flesh eater, these blades have intense strength, and are free from having to return to their core crystal. In order to preserve her memory, Jin burrowed his hand into Lora's chest and ate her heart. In doing so, he became the world's first and only red core crystal. He could now move at the speed of light could live for as long as he wanted to, provided he didn't overexert himself, which became an increasing problem as he got older. No flesh eater is perfect, and there has never been a truly complete or everlasting flesh eater. Amalthus also took Lora's second blade, Haze, who he renamed Fan la Norme, and he surgically took part of her core crystal and placed it inside himself, making him a blade eater. This allowed him to use her power, and she resided in the Praetorium as his blade, unaware that he was the cause of her last driver's death."

"Why didn't she know?" I questioned.

"Blades cannot keep their memories between resonations. Any blade that returns to a core crystal simply does not remember any of their life with that driver. This is why Jin was so distraught, and why he ate Lora's heart. Amalthus also helped one of Addam's brothers become the new King of the new Kingdom of Tantal, by lying to the people and pretending to be part of Addam's lineage. Amalthus agreed to keep his mouth shut provided that Tantal send a large amount of core crystals to the Praetorium every year. Forcing a titan to create many core crystals caused this titan to die faster than most others, turning Tantal's beautiful sunshine into a dark, barren, snow-covered land. While it was still beautiful, it was unhealthy and Amalthus simply didn't care."

"Core crystals come from titans?" I inquired again, but my question had already been answered.

"Time to wrap this story up. Five hundred years later a young salvager Rex found Pyra and became her driver. The child soon found his destiny as they travelled, and together with some friends he met along the way, he became the one true driver of the Aegis. The only one who could truly handle Mythra's true power and use it for the betterment of the world. Malos was still alive, and this time partnered with Jin. However, Rex put an end to Jin, Amalthus, and Malos, while killing none of them himself."

"So what about Waylon?" I asked.

"Yeah and why did I go back to sleep?" Mythra added.

"Let me finish. Rex and his friends did meet the Architect and they found Elysium, which was a complete barren wasteland. The Architect created a true Elysium, a monumental continent in the middle of a vast ocean. All of the titans plowed themselves into this continent, where they died and became part of this landmass. The Cloud Sea dispersed, and was never to be seen again, and the Architect passed from this world. A strange being, responsible for giving blades their power, called the Conduit, was supposed to have disappeared during this time, but did not, and still exists atop the World Tree to this day."

"What about Waylon?" I asked again.

"All I can say about Waylon is that he accidentally became Mythra's driver and that they loved each other very much. But he had to leave and promised to return again, under the name and body of someone else. He recreated Malos' core crystal and is the only reason that this nation lives in unity and that this book was created. You went to sleep because you simply wished to wait for him, Mythra. But I cannot tell you more, as I want you to find it out on your own," Granny explained.

"Why can't I remember him?" Mythra asked. "I remember Rex, but I can't remember Addam or Waylon!"

"Because neither one of them were your true driver. Now come on, I want to pass Lora's legacy onto you."

Readability Level: 11th-12th Grade

Time Taken: 4 Hours

Please do not use without permission. All artwork is not mine and credit goes to the artist.


	14. Chapter XIV

Book II: Of Friends and Foes

Chapter XIV

https/youtu.be/-eU9N59CkkA

"Alright, you ready?" Granny asked, holding my sword, readying her defenses.

I clutched Mythra's sword as the metal parts aligned and the blade of light energy materialized in front of me.

"I don't understand! Her sword is rear-heavy, all the weight is by my hands and the blade is almost weightless! How am I supposed to actually swing this around?!" I asked.

"Quit being such a baby," Mythra scolded, holding her arms out towards me. "Focus on your target and how you plan to defeat it. Whether you kill it, spare it, knock it unconscious, that's up to how you swing that sword. With every ounce of determination you put into a swing, the more lethal it is. Now focus Silas, and draw my power."

A blue line of energy appeared between Mythra and I.

"That is an affinity line," Granny explained. "When your bond is strong enough with your blade, it will be represented by that line turning golden. When this happens, you two are in perfect harmony, and your fighting will be much better. Now come on boy! Show me what you know!"

I didn't want to hurt her, I simply wanted to pin her, I focused on this emotion as I readied the blade, and I felt it grow weaker as it matched my intent.

"Very good, now, fight," Granny commanded before she lunged forward.

Immediately I felt all of time stand still as I watched a strange image of Granny coming at me, swinging her sword up at me, but the image phased through me. The time went back to normal and I saw Granny swinging in the exact manner the image of her had. I parried and knocked her back with the handle.

"What was that?!" I questioned.

"That's foresight," Mythra explained. "It's a prediction of events in the immediate future, it allows you to see what's about to happen before it happens. Use it to counter attacks from the enemy."

"Blades can share their abilities with you so long as you're linked by an affinity line. Stray too far from her and you break that link, leaving you both open for attack," Granny instructed. "Now you both should be using that Aegis Sword, don't be a hog Silas."

I threw the sword to Mythra, who caught it and began to glow.

"Ray of Punishment!" Mythra yelled out as arrows of light came crashing down on Granny, who expertly dodged them.

"What was that?" I asked her.

"Boy I've taught you arts, don't tell me you forgot!" Granny scolded.

"Oh... right...," I recalled. Arts were specific styles of fighting used by a driver. I just hadn't realized blades could do it too.

"Heads up!" Mythra yelled as I caught her blade and lunged at Granny.

"Rolling Smash!" I yelled as I slammed the blade down. Granny held out her blade and let them clash, and then she casually tossed me off.

"Very good! Now remember to shout the arts you're using so your blade knows what power she needs to output, otherwise you will drain her quickly. She may be the Aegis, but she has her limits."

"Full speed now?" Mythra challenged.

"Ready when you are!" Granny called back.

I grabbed the sword and collided with Granny, we parried each other constantly, she was much faster than I knew to give her credit for...

I jumped back and tossed the sword to Mythra, who lunged. Granny backflipped away before hitting Mythra's sword so hard that Mythra actually flew back.

"The hell?!" Mythra cried as she tossed the sword back.

I leaped in and thrusted my sword forward.

"Sword bash!" I yelled as I pushed all my weight forward.

I watched her smile as she quickly moved out of the way and the landed a blow on my back with her hilt, throwing me to the ground.

"The Aegis and her driver on the ground? And here I was worried I'd lost my touch," she giggled.

"How did you do that?" Mythra asked as she got up and helped me up.

"I've seen you both fight hundreds of times, to be honest I just knew what to expect. You lot also underestimated me, it made this too easy."

"Yeah, no kidding," I said.

Mythra looked at her suspiciously.

"Mythra?" I noticed.

"You're not a human, are you?" Mythra interrogated.

"I told you that I knew you five hundred years ago and you're just now questioning that?" Granny questioned back.

I had known for a long time she wasn't human, but I never bothered asking her about it, as I didn't feel it was my business. Mythra, however, seemed to pry more than I cared too.

"Tell ya what, beat me in a fight and I'll explain it to you," Granny challenged.

I pulled Mythra's sword. "You're on!"

"Not so fast," I heard a familiar voice say.

I spun around to see Colonel Acacia standing off to the sidelines, a blue-haired girl standing next to her.

"You are under arrest by the law of the Blade Control Corp for illegal possession of a powerful blade," the blue-haired girl stated in a monotonous manner.

"KOS-MOS?!" Granny exclaimed in surprise. "You're supposed to be with the BAP in Uraya, what are you doing over here?"

"You, citizen," Acacia ordered at Granny. "How do you know of KOS-MOS? She's a top-secret artificial weapon constructed by the BCC. You will also need to be taken in for questioning."

Granny bursted out laughing. "I see the BCC has mastered its lies! KOS-MOS is a blade, genius, you're just believing whatever you're told."

"Lies," Acacia accused.

"Hey! You've got some nerve to come here and call Granny a liar! You'd best leave right now or I'll knock you out again!" I threatened.

"Ah yes, that reminds me," Acacia pondered. "You see, I'm having trouble with one part of our last fight. You shot me with an earth bullet, but the medical examiner couldn't find the bullet. Do you happen to know why?"

"Yeah, I pulled it out."

"Well when we fight this time, you'd better not hold back. Because I'm not going to this time," she warned.

I turned Mythra's sword over to her, but the blade didn't get any stronger than it was while I was fighting Granny.

"I know what you're doing," Mythra said. "I'm with you, just don't do anything stupid."

"I'll do my best," I winked.

"KOS-MOS, start up the execution protocol, but only kill him if there is no other way. We're taking her in alive," Acacia ordered.

"Yes Colonel, I will not hold back," KOS-MOS said. "Stand back."

https/youtu.be/5c4hZLhmr4Y

KOS-MOS' heels extended and dug themselves into the ground as the metallic head gear on her head dropped down like a visor, but with no real way to see through it. Four metal pieces emerged from her back in the shape of an "x" and she put her hands out.

"This is your last chance to surrender and come quietly. Any other action will result in a high-capacity attack more than capable of killing you," KOS-MOS warned.

Acacia stepped back. "I suppose this is one way to do it. You heard her."

Mythra's foresight hit and I saw just how this attack would play out. I nodded towards Mythra and then I rushed Acacia.

KOS-MOS let out a huge burst of light, but I had already jumped well out of the way, clashing into Acacia, who drew her sword just in time.

"You... you dodged it?!" she exclaimed.

KOS-MOS returned to her normal output and grabbed a large cannon, a blade weapon known as an ether cannon. She launched an attack towards Mythra.

I threw her sword to her and she sliced through the beam.

Acacia took a swing at me, but Mythra had already thrown the sword back and I parried it.

"Who taught you to fight like that?!" Acacia asked annoyed.

"You want answers? Put the sword down!" I yelled back.

"I refuse! Surrender now!"

"I think you don't stand a chance, doesn't seem like you can hold out like this," I warned.

KOS-MOS readied herself. "Flaw in logic detected. I am still restraining myself."

"You are an enemy to everything we stand for, KOS-MOS, release your restraints, we give it our all. I will not be made a fool," Acacia commanded.

"You don't need to do that! We're not your enemy!" Mythra yelled.

"Wh-What do you mean? Haven't we been fighting this entire time?!" Acacia yelled as KOS-MOS began charging her ether cannon.

"I don't see any reason to fight you! You're just being misled! You seem like a good person, and it just feels like you're trying to do what's right, but if you keep getting in our way, we will take action!" I argued.

"Enough of your nonsense! KOS-MOS, is the final shot ready?"

"Affirmative," she responded.

"Good, then take the sh—"

She was cut off by a loud scream coming from our shed.

"STATE NAME NOW!" a girl's voice squealed in a nopon accent.

"Ah! Rafi think he fixed it!" we heard Rafi cheer.

"Stranger danger protocol activate!" we heard the girl say again before Rafi screamed and blasted through the shed's wall.

He landed next to Granny and laid there in a daze.

"Ow ow," he moaned.

Granny immediately locked eyes with her. "Poppi it's ok, calm down!"

"Scan complete. N-Nia? What is friend Nia doing here?" the little robot girl, Poppi, asked.

"We need some help here if ya don't mind," Granny asked.

"Enemy distracted, taking final shot," KOS-MOS said before firing a heavy shot directly at us.

Before it hit, however, the expected blast sound was replaced by a heavy metal ringing.

Once the smoke cleared, Poppi stood between us and KOS-MOS, holding out a round shield with a drill sticking out of the front, which she had used to block the laser.

"What is that?" Acacia questioned.

"Is enemy referring to Poppi?" Poppi asked.

"Yes. What are... you?"

"Poppi is artificial blade. Poppi was designed by Professors Soosoo, Tatazo, and Tora. If Poppi's time stamp not malfunctioning, then Poppi was built five hundred years ago."

"What?! Technology that advanced shouldn't have existed so long ago! There's no way! KOS-MOS should be the second artificial blade...," Acacia began.

"Enemy analysis incorrect," Poppi stated.

"What?" Acacia responded.

"KOS-MOS is robot, but KOS-MOS real blade. Most likely reason for resemblance: design was based off of ancient robot from old world."

Acacia stopped before sheathing her weapon. "KOS-MOS, stand down."

"Affirmative."

"The General tells me you're powerful, but not the Aegis. Do you claim that to be false as well?" Acacia questioned Mythra.

"My memories are coming back slowly, but this much is true," Mythra confirmed.

"Any proof to that?"

"The history book that she and Adenine wrote five 'undred years ago might help," Granny pointed out.

"That book was stricken down as nothing more than a fairy tale, you'd have to prove it."

"Simple," Granny said. "Adenine never returned to her core crystal and resides in Tantal as King Zeke von Genbu's blade. Also residing there is the core crystal of the other Aegis, Malos. You can go find those and know you're entire livelihood is a lie."

Acacia stopped and thought for a moment before turning to me.

"You, boy. Take me to Tantal. It'll be a ceasefire until then. If what you say is a lie, I will take you down personally."

Poppi broke the silence. "That fine and all, but Poppi have no idea what going on!"

"I'll explain in a bit Poppi," Granny said.

"Well then," I said. "Let's go to Tantal."

Readability Level: 11th-12th Grade

Time Taken: 4 Hours

Please do not use without permission. All artwork is not mine and credit goes to the artist.


	15. Chapter XV

Book II: Of Friends and Foes

Chapter XV

"Poppi, you were invented by Tora five 'undred years ago, but during Waylon's time, you sacrificed yourself to save me with a form we'd never seen before. We later found out this to be Soosoo's doing. Tora could not fix you in a reasonable amount of time, so he left you with me, just like Waylon had hinted at. This nopon, Rafi, is the one responsible for fixing you," Granny explained while gesturing towards Rafi.

Poppi teared up a bit. "So Poppi really has become just like Aegis, huh?"

Granny looked kinda sad too, Poppi had always been a little scared she'd destroy the world just like the Aegis.

"Cereza!" Poppi exclaimed. "What happen to Cereza?!"

"Cereza died, and became Serena. In other words, she became what you knew she could be," Granny explained.

Poppi cried even more. "Poppi... did make a difference..."

Rafi jumped in. "Why Poppi crying?"

Poppi was startled a bit, but wiped her tears. "Poppi not crying, Poppi just running routine camera lens cleaning protocol."

"Poppi, I know this whole world is going to be new to you and I know this is asking a lot," Granny started. "But can you please go with Silas and Acacia? They're really going to need your help."

Poppi nodded. "Of course! Poppi want to help everyone just like masterpon always did!" "Masterpon" was the nopon word for "master" and it was her word for talking about Tora.

Granny placed her hand in Poppi's head. Poppi shook her head and hugged granny instead, and the two stood there for a minute.

"Tora not alive any more, is he?" Poppi asked.

"No, he died of old age a long time ago," Granny explained.

Poppi didn't want to admit it, but she was really crying this time. Was this how Mythra had felt when she woke up after sinking Torna? Knowing that everyone she once knew was either dead or dying, and that she'd never see him again. Maybe Pyra had been right, maybe it really was better for a blade to be able to just forget everything.

"Can Rafi come and help Poppi?" Rafi questioned in the middle of everything. Nopon often had a terrible understanding of "place and time for everything".

Granny laughed. "I think Rafi wants to try being your new driver!" she said to Poppi.

Poppi giggled a bit. "Poppi don't really need driver and Poppi would rather not replace masterpon."

"Poppi, I don't think it would be quite replacing him, you may need someone to fix you up when you get damaged and make sure you're working properly. He's been very nice this whole time, he might come in handy. It's your choice though."

Poppi thought about this for a bit before finally responding.

"Rafi may come along, but for maintenance purposes only, understand?" Poppi said in a commanding tone that I could tell Granny hadn't really heard before.

"Rafi agree! Beats having to fix Juliani's sink any day!"

"Speaking of which, we're going to have to pass through Argentum again, are you sure you want to do this Rafi? It's gonna be dangerous," I warned Rafi.

"Rafi is quite sure! Rafi done with boring life and want to live exciting life with Silas, Mythra, and Poppi!"

Acacia and KOS-MOS had been watching quietly the entire time, maybe unsure of what to do. I was eyeing them suspiciously, but Mythra seemed content.

"The Mythra I knew would never look so content while an enemy was nearby, what's changed Mythra?" Granny asked her, privately.

"I don't know, but honestly I've seen moments like this before, and I don't currently see any reason to be worried as of right now," she responded.

"Could it have something to do with your AI? Oh never mind, I'm not going to pretend like I understand you Aegises," Granny laughed.

"Alright, guess we gotta get ourselves some more train tickets," I recommended. "I think I can cover you Acacia if need be..."

"I don't need your help. You're still a criminal as far as I'm concerned. You say you're going to Tantal, yes?"

"Well yes, that's what we've been—" but Acacia got me off.

"Then we leave now. KOS-MOS call the Binoceros."

"Citizens are not permitted to enter any BCC-commission vessel without explicit permission from General Adonis," KOS-MOS stated.

"KOS-MOS I gave an order, I know what I'm doing," Acacia challenged.

"Understood, I will ready the Binoceros," and with that, KOS-MOS left.

Soon, a large, black ship flew over Fonsett Village. Blue flames were being ejected out from underneath it and it landed right in front of us. A door dropped down, doubling as stairs that led into the ship.

"This looks like a different version of the Monoceros," Granny mentioned.

Acacia glared at her. "You know of the Monoceros?"

"Sure I do, it's the ship Jin and Malos used five 'undred years back."

Acacia sighed before entering the ship. "Move your asses, we gotta move."

KOS-MOS, Mythra, Poppi, Rafi, and I went up right behind her.

"Silas!" Granny called out.

"What is it?"

She threw me a strange rock. "That belongs to you, use it well!"

Before I could ask anything, the ship went off the ground and the door began to close.

"Be safe...," Granny sighed as she watched it the ship fly away.

"We have a report of an armed robbery of a convenience store. Active shooter on Menkin Avenue and Bennett Boulevard. If you are anywhere near that area, police advise you get away quickly and orderly," the news report kept going on but he wasn't hearing any of it.

"So Kassy? You ready to get that club o' yours a bit dirty?" he asked his blade.

"As long as we're the luckiest pair to have ever graced this land, I'll be with you till the end, Gabriel!" Kassandra said, happily.

They were both standing dramatically near the convenience store where the robbery was taking place.

Gabriel grabbed his blade's weapon and put it over his shoulder and stood in a dramatic pose outside the front door of the convenience store. Kassandra copied this pose as the three men in ski masks came out holding automatic rifles.

"Hello gentlemen, I am the Great Gabriel! Gabe for short, and often addressed as the Prince of Pain and the Consumer of Chaos! You would do well to end your shenanigans right here!" he boasted.

"Yeah! You don't want trouble, especially not when he's paired with me! Kasandra! Also known as..," she blinked for a second. "Kasandra! That's... pretty much my name, yeah?"

"Mow 'em down!" one shouted.

Gabriel jumped backwards and Kasandra threw up an ether shield in front of him, and he watched as all the bullets bounced off of the blade's shield.

"Guess we'll have ourselves a tussle, eh?" Gabriel laughed as the smoke cleared.

https/youtu.be/xByXfWVT9Sg

He pulled the club out and held it at the ready. "Let's go!"

The three immediately split, running in different directions.

"Kassy, block 'em off!"

"On it!"

Gabriel jumped and flipped over one and knocked him out square on his ass in a single hit.

"Oh put up a fight next time!" he laughed as he went to meet up with his blade.

She was right on the tail of the second one, so he passed her the weapon. "Heads up Kas!"

She jumped up, catching the club, spinning in the air, and slamming it on the ground, causing a dark aura to shoot out across the ground and causing the second one to trip.

The man flipped over quickly to watch Kasandra smack him across the face.

She flinched at the sight of this and then giggled a bit as she tossed the weapon back to Gabriel, who quickly caught up to the last guy, who somehow ended up walking down a dead end.

"Ooh looks like last luck just isn't on your side today, eh chum?" Gabe jeered.

"Who are you?" the man asked.

"Did you not listen to my intro? I am the Great Gabriel!" Gabriel said before going for the final hit, but the man pulled out a sword and shield and blocked it.

"Let's go then boy!" Gabriel laughed.

He attacked as the man blocked with the shield repeatedly, taking short, quick stabs.

"Hey you've got this defense thing down! Good job, but you lack one thing!"

"What's that?" he asked as Gabriel hurled the club over the man's head. "Throwing away your weapon?"

"No, a partner," Gabriel answered.

The man turned around as Kasandra hit him across the face, knocking him out.

"If it isn't the man himself, Gabriel?!" a female voice spoke from behind him.

"I know that name!" Gabriel laughed as he turned around. "Juliani! How are you?"

Juliani stood with her two blades, Theory and Praxis, behind her.

"Quite well. I suppose I should thank you for taking down these delinquents for me. You deserve a reward even! Maybe a trip down to my club?" she invited.

"You mean your entourage? I'd be better caught dead in a ditch before ever going in there. No man walking in ever retains their pride by the time they leave," Gabriel replied bluntly.

Juliani was a bit annoyed, but nonetheless she shook it off. "Then I guess I could give you information on the driver and the powerful blade that recently broke out of the BCCHQ?"

"Ah, did you know I was looking for them? If I'm correct they should be in Leftheria now, am I correct?"

"They were, they're currently on their way to Tantal. If you leave quickly you should be able to get their in time."

"And how do I know I can trust what you say is true?"

"I owe you one correct? Consider this my debt repaid."

Gabriel knew not to trust Juliani, but in this scenario he saw no reason not to. Juliani always repaid her debts.

"Very well," Gabriel said, turning to Kasandra. "Come on Kasandra, we're off to Tantal then."

"Good luck Gabriel," Juliani said as he left.

Readability Level: 11th-12th Grade

Time Taken: 4 Hours


	16. Chapter XVI

Book II: Of Friends and Foes

Chapter XVI

"Silas," a girl's voice called out, but I didn't hear it.

"Silas...," she called again, to no avail.

"SILAS!"

I jumped up to see the girl who'd been appearing in my dreams, Sarah. She hadn't spoken to me since I left for New Torna.

"Bout time I got your attention. You should really work on paying more attention to your surrounding!" she scolded.

"Hey Sarah," I greeted drowsily. "Long time no see."

She giggled. "So how long can you hold your breath?"

"What?"

"Because you must have a hell of a set of lungs considering how long your head's been up your ass. You gonna pull it out any time soon or...?"

"What're you talking about?! I just now learned how to fight with a blade and I'm on my way to show Acacia that we're not liars!"

"Forgive me, but human relations isn't my strong suit. All I know is that you're a matter of months away from this world getting ripped to shreds and you're waisting a lot of time," she said sternly.

"I'm sorry, do you want to share what you know or are you just going to leave me to question it myself? Because otherwise I don't want any sass from you," I quipped.

"Fine, whatever. Good luck in Tantal!" she said before everything around me turned bright white.

"I still recommend you spend time with the enemy!" KOS-MOS argued.

"Why would I do that?! They're the enemy!" Acacia yelled back.

"The enemy that was brought into our ship by your request. There is no better time to get close and gather intelligence!"

"Well if you're so Architect-damned smart, then why don't you do it, huh?!" Acacia snapped.

"Because I am a monotonous robot designated to be a weapon!" KOS-MOS said in a somewhat sad voice.

It was hard to tell what KOS-MOS was ever feeling. She was so monotone, and as far as Acacia knew, she didn't feel anything at all. KOS-MOS was just supposed to be a weapon... so why did she have so much free will and a personality even?!

"KOS-MOS, I-I'm sorry. I didn't know realize you were self-conscious of that," Acacia began to apologize.

"There is no need. I am designated for battle only. Any emotion produced by my AI are completely irrelevant and should be ignored."

Acacia wanted to tell her that her emotions were more important than that, but then she remembered that they weren't. KOS-MOS was a weapon, nothing more, nothing less.

"Right, then I'll go... talk to Silas then," Acacia nodded before leaving immediately, leaving KOS-MOS behind.

"Come on and eat guys, I made food!" Mythra called.

The ship we were in wasn't that big, it had five small rooms, a couple hallways, and a kitchen, living room, and dining room, however Mythra had apparently already acquainted herself with the pantry and had taken no time in throwing together some pancakes with the ingredients lying around. She had even made some for Acacia and KOS-MOS, who joined us at the long table.

Acacia sat on my right, Mythra sat on my left. KOS-MOS stationed herself in between Poppi and Acacia, and Rafi sat across from Poppi. Mythra had already set the entire table.

Acacia looked bewildered, and frankly, I did too. "You do know we are still your enemy right?" Acacia asked Mythra.

"Of course, I used your food to make a meal. We can't kill each other on an empty stomach and figured we'd all benefit in the end," Mythra smiled.

Rafi dug in first, stuffing an entire pancake in his face. "Rafi think food is amazing!!" he complimented with a stuffed face.

Poppi giggled. "Rafi chew your food first! Your fur is going to get all sticky!"

Rafi looked nervous before swallowing and Poppi began eating too. "Poppi hasn't had a meal in five hundred years!"

"Now you know how I feel," Mythra laughed as she sat down and began eating with us, who had all begun eating, even KOS-MOS.

"Poppi, if you're an artificial blade, then why do you need food?" Acacia asked.

"The same reason all blades eat food! It turn into fuel for main functions!" she responded cheerfully.

"Tora thought of everything when she was built. Although some of the design was based from his father and grandfather," Mythra pointed out.

"Amazing, you remember her?" I questioned.

"Bits and pieces, this green flower Nia gave me before we left for Argentum definitely had something to do with it, not sure why though," Mythra pondered.

"Poppi was invented by brilliant nopon engineer and poet Tora?!" Rafi exclaimed. "That so amazing!"

Poppi blushed a bit. "So masterpon became famous after all? That so amazing!"

Acacia leaned over to me and whispered, "Tora was accredited for inventing the engines our vesses use on the roadways, but nothing in our history said he was ever accredited for creating artificial blades."

"Well it seems the history you've been taught has a couple of holes then, huh?"

Acacia seemed annoyed, but also calmed herself. KOS-MOS gave her a look as to say "start a conversation with him already" and Acacia sighed before saying something.

"So if we get to Tantal and fail to find the manuscript and this "Malos'" core crystal, you do realize I will have to kill you, right?" she said bluntly.

KOS-MOS rolled her eyes and sighed while Acacia shrugged. She was terrible at small talk.

"I'm not worried about it. It'll all be there, just as we said," I responded.

"Do you have a map of the continent?" Mythra interrupted.

Acacia was taken by surprise, but then regained her composure. "Sure, it's on the data drives in the ship."

"Can I see it?"

"I don't see why not," Acacia responded before pulling a map up on a tv monitor in the living room area.

We were currently entering the province of Tantal. Mythra traced her finger around the map, looking at it puzzled.

I immediately realized that she only remembered the time when man lived on titan-back, and that she may jus the trying to understand how this continent worked.

"This is everything we've explored since coming to Elysium," I said, gesturing toward the map. The map showed a massive section of land, but maybe not even half of the land available on this continent. From north to south, the land started at a mountain range called the Jin Mountains, and then the land sloped down and jutted out into the ocean in one wide "u" shape, similar to a peninsula, but not exactly. Around the edges of this "u", four provinces shared equal land from the center out to the edge, where the capital was always located. The capitals were presumed to be built on the backs of the titans that drove themselves into this continent.

On the northeastern shores laid Gormott, a green, pleasant field, called the Gormotti Plain, that stretched hundreds of miles from the sea to New Torna. The capital of Gormott was Torigoth. On the southeastern shore was the once-powerful empire of Mor Ardain, which was now a peaceful province, just as the rest of the provinces were. The capital was Alba Cavanich and, while the nation was once home to barren desert wastelands, a river soon flowed through the titan and it now produced one of the most beautiful wetlands and jungles Alrest has ever known. The jungle was known as Ladair Jungle and the wetlands were called Niall Falls, despite not having but one waterfall.

South of the "u" in the middle of the ocean lay the Argentum Gambling District and Leftheria even farther south of that. Neither of these held much land and were basically separate from the Nation of Alrest. It's not that they weren't apart of the Nation, they were just too far apart and wound up segregated. The southern lands had one giant beach that sat in the view of the legendary landmark The World Tree, a massive tree that shot into the sky. It's where history says the Architect once lived and where Rex and Malos fought their final battle against each other. The northern part of the southern area was covered in a ridiculously dense forest called Skeeter Woods, and it was known for giant, Great Dane-sized mosquito beasts known as skeeters.

Moving southeast, the province of Tantal boasted a large cool plain called Turter Tundra. The closer you got to the continent, the colder it got, however, the capital of Tantal, Theoscaldia, was ironically much warmer. Directly east lay the province of Uraya rested. Despite it having a beautiful land of water and cherry trees near its capital, Fonsa Myma, the outskirts from there to New Torna were covered in a large desert called Scorpox Desert. It also had another large city called Garfont, which was home to the Blade Assistance Program, or the BAP.

These guys were basically the group opposing the BCC. The BCC thought it best to control blades and keep powerful ones out of the hands of people, while the BAP thought that blades should be free to go to whoever they could resonate with. The BCC feared the weapon, the BAP thought of blades as more than that.

"No you're missing one," Mythra corrected.

"Excuse me? Do you dare doubt the BCC's mapping capabilities and the knowledge stored in our history for the past centuries?" Acacia scoffed.

"Says the one who's going with us because she doubts the knowledge stored in her history for the past centuries," Mythra quipped.

Acacia fell silent.

"What are you talking about Mythra?" I interrupted before things heated up any more.

"I mean there was definitely one other nation. I can't remember the name, but I do remember not being very fond of it. In fact, I remember Rex and I fighting it pretty fiercely."

Acacia sighed before Poppi interrupted.

"Friend Mythra referring to Indol. Indol served as sort of religious cult that boasted to know will of Architect. Praetor Amalthus misused his power and made the world live in fear for five hundred years," she said.

Acacia looked down in concentration before looking back at the map. She then shook her head. "Enough dwelling on it, we're nearing Genbu Port, then it'll just be a short walk to Theoscaldia."

"Does Poppi really remember all that happened five hundred years ago?" Rafi asked in disbelief.

Poppi shook her head triumphantly. "Of course! Masterpon was very particular about Poppi's functions. Always made sure Poppi has plenty of TLC!" she giggled.

"Wowie!" Rafi exclaimed. "Rafi hope he can be half as cool as Tora was!"

"Comprehension error. Trying to be someone else seems to only lead to physical, emotional, and mental depression and despair. My algorithms suggest that trying to refine the best traits that one possesses in themself would be the optimal goal to strive for," KOS-MOS interrupted.

"What? That sound stupid," Rafi answered bluntly. "Why Rafi continue to be stupid old Rafi when Rafi could be famous like Tora!"

KOS-MOS sighed and looked away.

"Did KOS-MOS just sympathize with Rafi?" Acacia thought to herself as the Binoceros came to a complete stop and the doors opened up into a large open area, filled with snow.

"Let's move people, it's cold but Theoscaldia is only a mile away," Acacia ordered as everyone walked out.

Immediately my muscles tensed as I was hit with the bitter cold tundra that lay before us.

"Cold cold!" Rafi complained.

Acacia didn't react, as she refused to show weakness. Poppi, KOS-MOS, and Mythra also didn't react to the snow at all.

"Does the weather not effect blades?" I asked.

Mythra laughed. "KOS-MOS and I are light blades, so the energy being emitted by those waves keeps us plenty warm."

"And Poppi runs on ether furnace that produces heat! And Poppi also doesn't have skin!" Poppi chirped.

"Alright well I'm cold, so let's get a move on," I laughed.

We took a few steps forward before we heard a male and a female scream before plummeting into the snow in front of us. I immediately recognized the two.

Kasandra popped out of the snow like a dais with an insanely sweet smile and waved before she looked over and saw Gabriel with the entire upper half of his body under the snow. She put her hands over her mouth dramatically before grabbing his leg and pulling him out of the snow like a carrot, and they both fell on top of each other before jumping up.

"Sorry villains, but you will go not a step further!" Gabriel jumped up.

"And you are?" Acacia asked impatiently.

"I am the Great Gabriel and this blade is the magnificent—"

Mythra cut him off. "Gabriel and Kasandra, Acacia and KOS-MOS. Acacia and KOS-MOS, Gabriel and Kasandra, ya done?"

Gabriel sighed. "Soak up all the fun why dontcha?"

"We're here to put an end to you right now!" Kasandra yelled.

I pulled Mythra's sword. "Alright, let's make this quick. It's cold outside."

Gabriel grinned as a dark aura formed between him and Kasandra. It threw us all to the ground. "Don't get cocky, kid. This time... I'm not holding back."

https/youtu.be/pmkkM4fDLJw

Acacia, Poppi, and Rafi stepped back.

"All yours kid," Acacia said.

I nodded as Mythra threw up her arms, causing an affinity line to join us.

Kasandra giggled as she threw up her club, landing it in Gabriel's hands.

"Remember Silas, dodge, don't parry," Mythra instructed.

"Why not parry?" Acacia asked.

"Aren't you a soldier?" Mythra asked skeptically. "The weight's too much for the sword."

"The sword maybe... Here, try this. Attach it to your forearm," Acacia said, throwing me a weird metal piece.

I attached it to my right arm, and when I pushed my arm out in front of me, a shield formed up of tiny hexagons, like a blade's shield, materialized right in front of me.

"Well that'll do," Mythra laughed. "What're you waiting for? Kick his butt!"

I nodded as I gripped her sword in just my left hand and launched myself towards him.

He did the same and swung his club, I dug my feet into the ground and held my arm up as his club pounded against it. It pushed me back, but otherwise didn't hurt me. I repositioned my grip on Mythra's sword, swinging it with both hands, and he parried it with the club's long handle before shaking me off.

He tossed his weapon to Kasandra.

"Sentimental Burst!" she yelled out.

I knew that was an art, but I had no idea what it was until I saw dark ether condensing around me. Mythra jumped on top of me and shielded me from the blast before taking her sword and set her aim towards Gabriel.

"Ray of Punishment!" Mythra yelled as light arrows plummeted into him.

"Impregnable Shield!" Gabriel yelled as he drove his club into the ground, creating an incredibly strong ether shield. A few of the arrows hit him directly and the rest bounced off and hit me.

Gabriel and I both pulled out out pistols and fired off a full clip-worth of earth-type bullets. Apparently we'd both had the same strategy.

Mythra and Kasandra also pulled out their shields, but the bullets hit so hard that it threw them both to the ground.

"ENOUGH!" Acacia shouted as KOS-MOS charged up her weapon. "Neither of you are fighting with the intent to kill and if you continue being a bunch of babies I will give you a real reason to fight! Are we clear?!"

Gabriel and I both got up and laughed at each other before shaking hands.

"Not bad you klutz," I said.

"Yeah, haven't had a good thrashing like that since I fought my dad back when he was still teaching me arts!"

Kasandra helped Mythra up. "You two still make a cute couple!" she giggled.

"Oh we're not together, we were just teasing," Mythra laughed back.

"Aww that's so sad! I want it to happen!"

Acacia looked increasingly annoyed. "Can we go now?"

"Yeah, I'll explain on the way," Gabriel laughed.

Word Count: 2,978

Character Count: 17,148


	17. Chapter XVII

Book II: Of Friends and Foes

Chapter XVII

"So let me get this straight. You were never planning on taking us to prison?" I asked Gabriel as we walked through the bitter cold to Theoscaldia.

"Nah, not really my style. My dad told me the Aegis had awakened and I made it my duty to give you a proper spar!" Gabriel explained.

"He... knew I awoke? How?" Mythra asked.

"Well, he has always been known to have the reaction speed of a thunderbolt, so who know?" Gabriel laughed.

"I do have one question though," Kasandra asked me.

"What's that?"

"Why is your girlfri-" Kasandra caught Mythra's glare and corrected herself. "Why is Mythra wearing a bracelet with a core crystal attached to it?"

We all stopped in our tracks and Mythra and I looked at the gem on it closely.

"That's a normal core crystal?" I asked.

"The way it's embedded in the bracelet, I didn't realize it was either!" Mythra exclaimed.

"Come to think of it, Granny threw me a rock just like that one as we flew away. She said it 'belonged to me' or something," I pointed out.

"Well why don't you resonate with this one then?" Mythra asked, holding up her bracelet.

"I couldn't!" I answered. "The bracelet was given to us by Juliani. She may not have known the core crystal was here either! We have to make sure it's ok with her first."

I reached into my pocket and pulled out the core crystal Granny had thrown me. "This one, on the other hand."

"Resonation with that core crystal with no intent to have it registered is a grave violation of the Blade Control Corporation's terms and—" KOS-MOS began to argue before getting interrupted by Gabriel.

"Tantal isn't controlled by the BCC, we are allies. Tantal has no such registration laws. As long as the blade never leaves the Tantalese, Urayan, Gormotti, or Leftherian boundaries there should be no issue," he argued.

Acacia jumped in. "Stand down KOS-MOS, we have no jurisdiction here."

KOS-MOS nodded and relaxed herself.

I tapped the core crystal as it began to glow brightly. I then watched as a humanoid figure materialized from within the core crystal itself.

Her hair was short and black, and we skin was black. Interestingly enough, her entire body seemed to be made out of what looked like plastic. She was held up by strings and danced around like a marionette doll. She spin around on her tip toes before bending over backwards in an unnatural fashion, looking at me upside down. Her eyes widened, one eye was purple, but the other just seemed like a broken socket.

"I am known as... Azami," she said as she pulled out an enormous ether canon.

She broke her own strings and swung it around, and her left eye, the one that was just a socket, began to glow with a bright purple light.

"I am your captive. Keep me by your side... won't you?" she pleaded before giggling intensely.

We were all immensely creeped out to say the least. Everything about her seemed so... unsettling. Well... that and I was already creeped out by dolls, especially ones of the "it can talk and move by itself" variety.

Mythra nudged my side and I snapped out of it. "Hello Azami, I am Silas," I greeted simply.

She immediately approached me very closely and scanned me very thoroughly. She stood a whole six inches taller than me, and it definitely didn't help with the intimidation factor.

"My, my! I have such a cute driver! I cannot wait to see what fun we have in store!" she said excitedly.

Acacia, who also wasn't sure how to comprehend what just happens, snapped out of it and began barking orders like usual. "Let's go, we're only about one hundred feet away from the main gate."

"R-Right," Gabriel agreed as we all began walking.

Soon we arrived at Theoscaldia. The entire city was made of a variety of stone bricks. Everything seemed kind of old-fashioned, except the occasional vess that would drive by, usually either leaving or coming in.

"Not a lot of people can tolerate the extreme temperatures around this city, and we have to import all food and clothing. The only thing we export are brick, soil, and ice. So Tantal isn't nearly as inhabited as the other provinces," Gabriel explained as we walked towards a huge building.

Acacia, KOS-MOS, and Poppi remained silent. Rafi kept running around and poking his head everywhere, he was definitely curious. I was quietly asking Mythra if she remembered anything about this place.

"It hasn't changed a bit," she responded. "Although the city used to be called Theosoir, the palace name was Theoscaldia."

"Right you are!" Gabriel explained. "My folks decided that he didn't want the palace to have a different name from the city. As far as he was concerned, he was equal to his people."

"You're-?!" Acacia started before stopping herself and bowing. KOS-MOS did the same.

"Hey Acacia," I asked in a bit of a sarcastic tone. "Whatcha doin?"

Mythra, Poppi, and Rafi turned, facing the opposite direction of me and they all bowed as well.

"Am I missing something?" I asked as I turned around to see a man, about as tall as I was, in a crown and robe with a two-handed claymore, obviously a blade-weapon, slung across his back.

"Welcome home son!" he exclaimed.

Kasandra giggled. "Hello Your Highness!"

"Hey dad," Gabriel added.

"Your Highness, Dad?" I asked in confusion.

"Aye, you ain't the brightest one are ya?" the man laughed.

"My name is Zeke von Genbu," the man said. "I am the ruler of the province of Tantal."

Word Count: 1,161

Character Count: 6,687


	18. Chalter XVIII

Book II Finale

Chapter XVIII

Soon, all of us had sat down over a large table inside the palace, Zeke sat next to Mythra, I sat next to her and Azami, KOS-MOS and Acacia opposite to Zeke, Gabriel and Kasandra sat on the other side of Zeke, with Gabriel sitting closer to Zeke, and Poppi and Rafi left and started browsing the market like children do.

"So you don't remember a thing?" Zeke asked Mythra.

"I remember my time with Rex, and as I visit more places and see more things, I begin to put names to faces. I remembered Nia not too long ago, and I'm beginning to remember you too," she responded.

"And this must be your new driver," Zeke assumed, pointing towards me.

"Yes, I am Silas," I introduced simply.

Zeke stared into my eyes, studying them very carefully. "I'd recognize those eyes anywhere."

I didn't pry too much into what he meant, as I wasn't really known for being nosy.

"So I noticed Brighid's journal on your person Mythra? Is it helping you remember Waylon at all?"

"No, actually," she responded. "It's, as you said, not my journal. However as I read her story, I can't help but feel like I really want to be her. She seems so calm, and composed..."

Zeke began laughing hysterically as we stared with questioning looks on our faces. He then looked at her and explained. "The Mythra I knew would've stabbed someone before ever admitting that. You've really grown, haven't you?"

"I... guess?" Mythra said, unsure.

"Have you tried reading the back section of the book?" Zeke questioned.

"I... why?"

"Because you wrote your part in after finishing her story," Zeke explained.

Soon Poppi and Rafi joined us. Zeke, upon seeing Poppi, walked up to her and gave her a huge hug. "I thought we'd lost you!"

"Poppi missed friend Zeke as well," she said. "But, friend Zeke isn't crying, is he?"

Zeke immediately hid his face for a bit before responding. "No! Of course not. The Zekenator never cries!"

"The Zekenator?" I thought to myself. "Guess I know where Gabe gets his personality from."

"You see..." Zeke continued, trying to explain why tears were flowing from his eyes. "I..."

"Zeke must be performing routine eye cleaning because of debris, right?" Poppi said, cutting him a break.

"Ah yes, that's it!"

I hated to interrupt, but did so anyways. "We can catch up later, we came here for two reasons. To compare the copy of Mythra's history book here to that of the one Nia had and to prove the existence of Malos' core crystal."

Zeke looked up at Acacia's expressionless face. One that seemed like she was just waiting on this whole episode to be over.

"You must be from the BCC, how is Adonis?"

"Oh he's fine, not too much he isn't doing these days," Acacia answered before realizing that Zeke's gaze was now fixated on KOS-MOS.

KOS-MOS eventually decided to say something. "Is there a problem, Your Highness?"

"Where did you acquire that blade?" Zeke asked simply.

"She's an artificial blade designed by the BCC for combat and peacekeeping," Acacia stated.

"No, she's not," Zeke said bluntly. "That was MY blade that disappeared while on a deformed blade eater hunt some three hundred years ago. She left with T-Elos and she wasn't ever heard from again."

Acacia tried to hide her surprise.

I chuckled. "Need any more proof?"

She sighed. "You've yet to prove the existence of the Aegis, Malos or the history book."

"So that's what this is about. Very well, come," Zeke beckoned. "I will show you to the Aegis. Afterwards you'll need to go to Garfont, Uraya to obtain the history book. It's currently with my most intelligent blade who works to regularly update its data."

"Tisk tisk," an unfamiliar female voice said from the background. "Province Leader Zeke, you weren't seriously about to give the power of an Aegis to these low-life criminals without the approval of the other Province Leaders, were you?"

We all spun around to see a short girl, about five foot six, with bright, purple eyes. She looked absolutely gorgeous. Her long, black hair went down just below her shoulders and she was wearing a long, black jacket and had a skirt that overlapped her black jeans. She was somehow walking around in black heels too. I say somehow because the streets and sidewalks this place was made out of were composed entirely of rough, chiseled stone.

"Stay out of this Lieutenant, this is none of your concern," Zeke ordered.

She let out an almost-seductive giggle as she looked at Acacia.

"Hey Colonel, fancy seeing you here. Especially considering you're supposed to be in Leftheria. What happened to that anyway?" she asked.

"Lieutenant Uzuki, they wish to prove their innocence by proving that his blade is the Aegis and the weapon given to me is truly a blade," Acacia explained.

The Lieutenant shook her head. "The General told me something was wrong when he noticed the Binoceros' GPS showed you heading for Tantal."

"I wanted you guys to know where I was heading. That way when these criminals turned out to be liars as well, we could cut them down here."

"Oh is that it?" she laughed. "Well it's gonna be hard to explain that to the General, I just sent him a voice recording of everything you just said. He's telling me that you are now to be considered a traitor and to use all available force to contain you."

"Oh yeah?! You and what army?" I threatened as I pulled Mythra's sword.

She winked at me and help up her fingers, letting out a dramatic snap as we were immediately surrounded by soldiers. They had been hiding outside the building this whole time.

"So the walls have ears, eh? I like these odds," Gabriel said as Kasandra passed him her weapon.

Lieutenant Uzuki let out one hell of a giggle. "Gabriel you are so cute when you don't know what you're up against!"

She threw a strange looking object at us and it immediately detonated, cutting the ether flow from Kasandra and Mythra.

Immediately, the guards restrained Gabe, Kasandra, Mythra, Azami, Poppi, Rafi, and I.

Lieutenant Uzuki approached Gabriel and dubbed her fingers through his hair. "Maybe after they finish handcuffing and beating you maybe you'll let me do the same?" she winked.

"Go choke on titan dung lady," Gabriel said, chuckling a bit.

"So rude...," she responded before kicking him square in the jaw, causing blood to flow out of his mouth. "You dogs should really learn your place."

"You organized an entire squadron of soldiers in our capital? Are you mad? This is a grave violation of—" Zeke started before Lieutenant Uzuki cut him off.

"You were about to give the power of an Aegis to some petty thieves, I don't want to hear it," she snapped. "However, if you will surrender the criminals and the weapon, I'll leave your son and his blade and you can keep your position."

"If you think I'm going to run with my tail between my legs, you've got another thing coming."

"Lieutenant I wish to speak to the General," Acacia interrupted.

"Oh yes, forgot about you," Uzuki grinned. "KOS-MOS, restrain her."

KOS-MOS immediately punched Acacia square in the face, but it wasn't enough to knock her out.

"Ow! What the hell KOS-MOS?!" Acacia said as she got up.

"My directives are to follow my driver's instructions. General Adonis is my driver," KOS-MOS stated simply.

"You don't even have any proof that the General even gave those orders! How can you believe it on such a whim?!" Acacia argued.

"Kid, forget it," Zeke warned. "If she's Adonis' blade it's likely she's been edited."

"Edited?" I questioned.

Zeke sighed. "It's when a human interfaces with a blade's core crystal before the blade is resonated with. By putting specific directives into the core crystal, the blade cannot disobey these directives until it is resonated again."

"The blade... is manipulated?" I questioned indirectly.

"That's awful!" Mythra protested. "A blade shouldn't be forced to do anything!"

"Shut it, scum," the Lieutenant ordered. "KOS-MOS, we don't have all day, get her under control."

"Affirmative," KOS-MOS responded before putting herself in a fighting stance.

Acacia readied herself, even though she knew there wasn't much of a chance of beating her.

KOS-MOS rushed her with a rush of punches as Acacia drew her sword and blocked them. She sliced at KOS-MOS, but KOS-MOS healed the wounds immediately.

"Shit! She really is a blade!" Acacia realized.

KOS-MOS grabbed Acacia's sword by the blade and yanked it out of her grasp before discarding it. Acacia drew her submachine gun, even though she knew it wouldn't do anything, and KOS-MOS did a backflip, kicking the gun into pieces.

Acacia flinched as KOS-MOS went for the final blow, but it never came...

Instead, Poppi had grabbed KOS-MOS by the leg and hurled her three hundred feet into the air. It looked like she landed well outside the city.

"What? How is this blade not out of energy?! You were hit with an ether grenade!" Lieutenant Uzuki shouted.

"Poppi is artificial blade and produces own ether," Poppi explained. "Poppi also has superstrength, petty soldiers could not hold Poppi if they wanted to."

"And Rafi go for the win!" Rafi yelled as he jumped up, holding a metal pipe, behind Lieutenant Uzuki in an attempt to knock her unconscious.

She caught the pole and punched Rafi, launching him into a wall.

Poppi gasped. "Rafi! Rafi not supposed to attack! Rafi not experience in combat."

"Rafi... going to be... great heropon!" he swore as he lie gasping in the ground.

Poppi hid her giggle, as she was still concerned. But then she knocked out the guards holding us down.

Mythra, Kasandra, and Azami could use their weapons now, but they weren't at full power. The ether grenade was obviously no joke.

"Send in the trump card," Lieutenant Uzuki said into a walkie talkie.

Immediately, I heard a loud whoosh. When it turned around, I saw Poppi had blocked a large wave of fire that was headed in my direction.

"Thanks."

"No problem! Silas need to go get Malos! Poppi and blades will stay here and protect you!"

"Hey losers! Did you miss me?" a very familiar voice greeted as she strutted into view.

"Pyra," Mythra said aloud.

"Man! Am I ever going to see you at full power or do I need to waste my time every time we meet?" Pyra asked tauntingly.

"I don't need full power to beat you. But I have my own help. Azami, you wanna lend a hand?" Mythra invited.

KOS-MOS walked out from behind Pyra.

Pyra smirked. "As do I."

"Gabriel!" I shouted. "Get Rafi and your dad out of here! Poppi, focus on KOS-MOS, be careful!"

"Right," Gabriel agreed. "Kassy, take care of sergeant succubus over there and her army of fanboys, you got it?"

"Ready as I am lucky!" she responded.

"Sergeant succubus, huh... I like that one," Uzuki giggled.

Gabriel winked at her just to annoy her before running off.

"Bottom floor!" Zeke shouted at me.

"Right!" I acknowledged before turning to Acacia. "You. With me."

"What?! I'm your enemy!"

"Well you're currently fighting my enemy so now you're my friend, let's move!" I argued, grabbing her hand and pulling her along with me.

She seemed confused but she followed along.

https/youtu.be/Z7YM9gAVeMs

Mythra and Pyra drew their swords in unison while Azami readied her ether cannon in the background.

"You should walk your flirty, ginger ass back through that door before I hit you so hard I make the General jealous," Mythra warned.

She giggled. "That's the closest thing you've done to damage since we met."

Immediately, their swords clashed. They both hopped back and Pyra let out a barrage of fire waves, Mythra dodged most of them, but was hit with the last one, which launched her to the ground.

Pyra approached her. "Still not at full power? Pity."

She went for the finishing blow but was blown back by a large blast.

"Why does everyone always forget about me?" Azami whined as she charged up another shot.

Pyra lunged at her, and Azami used the tremendous weight of her weapon to spin herself around as she parried every blow.

"My, my, so unskilled!" Azami giggled before slamming her gun into Pyra, knocking her to the ground.

"You bitch!" Pyra yelled before attacking again.

KOS-MOS shot her R Canon at Poppi, who used the rocket boosters in her feet to fly around, dodging them.

KOS-MOS studied Poppi's movement before firing a shot that knocked her out of the air. KOS-MOS then turned her arm from a cannon to a sword as she swooped in.

Poppi caught the sword and threw her arms upward, launching KOS-MOS through the air once again.

Poppi pulled her shield out. "Poppi Spinning Slash!" she yelled as she spun around in a circle at jet-speeds and landed the shield into KOS-MOS, violently launching her into the side wall.

KOS-MOS got up, more pissed off then hurt.

"Poppi not make enough money for this," she whined before repositioning herself.

As Acacia and I ran down the stairs and into the room with Malos' core crystal, we were immediately surrounded by soldiers.

"GET ON YOUR KNEES!" one yelled.

"Damnit, Acacia grab the crystal!" I said as I pulled out Mythra's bracelet.

"When did you get that?" she asked.

"I was prepared, now GO!" I yelled as I touched the core crystal. Summoning a blade with blonde hair with very long pigtails in the shape of conch shells.

She was wearing a form of swimsuit that was designed to look like shells and had an attached mermaid tail. She also was riding in a floating bathtub. The water in the bathtub flowed out in the shape of a woman and the woman rubbed her fingers through its hair as it ran back into the bathtub, turning into water. Definitely not what I was expecting.

She pulled out an ether cannon that was shaped like a large conch shell.

"We are Sheba!" she began to greet, but I cut her off.

"Look, I'm Silas, and I hate to be rude, but I REALLY need your help Sheba. Can you help me now and I promise I'll listen to what you have to say afterwards?" I pleaded

She sighed a deep sigh of annoyance before her bathtub disappeared and she readied her gun. "Very well."

She fired a large water blast into the crowd as I began firing shots from my pistol and engaged in one hell of a sword fight.

Acacia stared at the dark purple, cross-shaped core crystal, it seemed to pull her gaze into a deep abyss, and she couldn't look away.

Was this really a good idea?

Acacia reached out and touched the crystal with her fingers, and the crystal began to glow with the darkest aura she'd ever felt.

Immediately, Kasandra doubled backwards as she swung, she missed Uzuki but managed to knock the living crap out of a few of the guards.

Pyra swung at Azami, finally knocking her to the ground, and she went for the final blow.

But before she could, a large ball of pure dark energy collided with her sword, and she watched it disintegrate in her hands.

She stepped back, in shock.

She looked to see a man, about as tall as I was, look back at her. He was extremely muscular, wearing all black and purple, with black, spiked hair and black eyes, and his deep purple crystal that looked just like Pyra's and Mythra's green ones. His aura screamed power and he took one cold, empty look at her and gave her a half-smile.

"Sorry I'm late, mind if I tag in?"

Readability Level: 11th-12th Grade

Time Taken: 7 Hours


	19. Chapter XIX

Book III: Stolen Valor

Chapter XIX

He stood on top of the building, looking down at the roadways, covered in vesses, and wondering to himself if what hewas doing was really the right thing to do.

"I mean, sure, by a moral standpoint it seemed correct, but I sometimes wondered if assassination was the only option," he wondered aloud.

"Hey Canaan, you gonna keep standing up there looking pretty or are you actually going to earn us a paycheck this week?" a voice said over the intercom he had imbedded in his ear.

"Yeah, yeah, Zane. Don't worry about me," Caanan replied, beginning to fit the parts of my high-caliber sniper rifle in place. "I'll get it done."

"Cool, you mind if I play some music?" Zane asked.

"Only if your promise not to play anymore of your modern hot garbage," Canaan snapped.

"It's pop, and it's not garbage," he argued.

Canaan sighed, Zane was his brother, but his taste of music wasn't what Canaan saw as tasteful.

"...And play!" Zane said excitedly, much to his brother's discontent.

https/youtu.be/f3RVootcD4w

Canaan stopped for a second.

"You so realize I will be killing people to this song, right?"

"Yeah, get on it."

Canaan rolled his eyes as he dropped from the ten-story building and held his gun.

He fired one shot through a window and then used an ether-powered wing suit to make the landing.

"And confirmed dead, nice shot. That dude had some enemies. The next target's eating at a fancy-schmancy restaurant downtown," Zane informed. "Sending you the pic."

Canaan looked at the small button on his forearm, he hit it, and a hologram gave him a full-color representation of his next target. The target was wanted for human trafficking and at least forty accounts of rape. However he had too much money to be caught legally, however the pretty lady with a small fortune worked some quick persuasion. Now, he was as good as dead.

"Got it," Zane said as he hit a button on his one-piece black leather suit.

The suit changed in appearance to a tuxedo and he pulled out a disc that turned into a form of hoverboard and flew toward the restaurant.

When he got to the restaurant, he saw a busboy, young and obviously new, carrying food to the man.

"Jackpot," Canaan whispered to himself as he approached the young man.

"Excuse m—" the young man started before Canaan grabbed his arm.

"Boy how long have you worked here?"

"It's my first week," he said nervously.

"I can tell, you're really about to serve that man his food and such condition?"

"I— what's wrong with it?"

Canaan laughed. "You can't smell it? Not enough seasoning, allow me!"

Canaan pulled out a normal salt shaker and sprinkled it all over his food.

"There you go, boy! Now, go impress our guest!" Canaan encouraged.

"R-Right!" The boy said, more confidently as he strutted over to the man.

Canaan walked away as the man began eating, chuckling to himself.

"Sorry kid," Canaan said to himself as the target fell face down on the table, much to the boy's horror.

"What the hell did you use?" Zane interrogated.

"You remember that highly experimental poison you were making that was supposed to taste like salt?"

"Yeah. You mean the one I said specifically not to use under any circumstance because I wasn't sure if it'd work or not?" Zane answered.

Canaan laughed. "Well... it works."

Zane sighed heavily. "Please stop doing that, next target is about to leave a hotel across the street, the entryway is completely clear."

Canaan simply walked across and waited for the man to appear.

"Two lackeys! Move!" Zane yelled as Canaan ducked under some bullets that grazed his head.

Canaan threw down a devise that pulled up a one-way ether shield. He could fire through it, but the bullets they fired would bounce back at the attacker.

He flipped on some thermal goggles and aimed his rifle carefully before taking two shots. Killing both of the bodyguards.

"Where's the target, Z?" Canaan asked.

He heard the whoosh of a vess engine and looked outside to see the man speeding away.

"He got away," Zane responded.

Canaan laughed. "No he didn't."

As the man drove away, he laughed and turned on the radio, but he then heard a loud beeping before his vess was covered in flames.

"Remote bomb... nice touch," Zane complimented.

"Always stay one step ahead," Canaan grinned as we walked outside. He felt a tug on his pant leg.

He turned around to see a little girl, maybe eight, staring at him. She looked extremely nervous, a face Canaan had seen on adults who didn't have the stomach for his kind of work.

"E-E-Excuse m-me," she stammered out.

Canaan got down on one knee and looked her in the eye. She grabbed his wrist and place about twenty gold coins in his hand. The money was nothing more than pocket change.

"Help," she pleaded as tears flew down her face. "He's going to kill my mom."

Adrenaline rushed through his veins as he realized the gravity of the situation.

"Canaan? You alright?" Zane questioned.

"Yeah, gotta go," he responded before turning off the intercom.

"Take me to him, you need to come along."

Canaan walked into a old, wooden bar and looked around cautiously.

That last job had taken the wind out of him, he despised people like that. He decided he needed a drink, and this bar was the homiest place he knew in New Torna.

"The Shining City," it was so often called. "A new hope for all of humanity." Canaan scoffed at the notion. New Torna was nothing but a pile of shit with a nice coat of paint. People lived every day in complete blissful ignorance as wicked people are up the weak and poor. Then, the leader's would hide it in programs made to assist these same people they robbed by then robbing the people who worked. It was as if the government just wanted to starve the people, but what was there to gain.

Canaan saw a man watching him out of the corner of his eye.

Canaan drew his sword as a yellow ether crystal electrified his sword, and he pointed it at the man's neck.

The man smiled. "Canaan, you're as sharp as ever. How's Zane?"

"How do you know our names?"

"Simple, my name is General Adonis. I have a job for you," he replied.

"I know who you are you manipulative fuck, I asked you how you know my name," I glared.

"I don't intend to entertain you, boy. Now put the sword away before I make you."

I knew better than to mess with him. Although nobody in the bar cared whether I actually killed him or not. I put my sword away.

He slid my a beer, and I took a drink, not looking away. He sat there, silent.

"I don't do political favors Adonis," I stated.

"Of course not, no amount of money could ever persuade you to take on the task of killing a king!" he laughed.

"And you think you have something I want?"

"I know I do," he grinned.

He held up a core crystal, a name taped to it. As I read the name, my eyes widened as I realized he did have leverage.

I read the name again.

"Finch".

Word Count: 1,464

Character Count: 8,385


	20. Chapter XX

Book III: Stolen Valor

Chapter XX

Canaan opened the door to his humble little abode. It was a small, mostly wooden house out in a wooded area outside of New Torna. Canaan had always preferred to stay outside of the big city, but he still worked inside the city. It was the easiest way to make money, after all, especially in his line of work.

"Everything work ok?" Zane asked, appearing out of the other room.

"Yeah, nothing to report. I don't know why you don't design tech for a living. You'd make a killing," Canaan laughed.

"I do," Zane replied. "I just happen to give it all to some assassin who refuses to patch up his bleeding heart. Speaking of which, who'd you give a free job to this time?"

"Ah, you knew?" Canaan said.

"We're brothers, I have an idea when you're hiding something."

Canaan sighed. "Little girl, maybe eight. She threw twenty gold coins in my hand and asked me to help. It was her dad, he was mercilessly beating his wife. She was half-dead when I got there."

"Titan's foot..., and?"

"I brought her with me and shot him with a pistol. I used a water ether bullet to heal the woman's wounds."

"You made the girl watch?! Why?"

"She asked me to take someone's life. If I had done it without her watching, there's a chance she'll assume that that's how she should solve all of her problems. By doing it in front of her, she saw him die. His eyes turned to glass, his body hit the floor, the sounds, the smells..., and then I explained it to her. By asking me to do this, he'd never walk, talk, breathe... Any good moment she may have ever had with him would never happen again, but she'd never get hurt by him again, and then I left."

Zane looked uneasy.

Canaan chuckled empathetically. "That's why I do the dirty work, besides, you're way too good at this tech stuff. How does nobody see me when I'm riding that hoverboard? The streets are always packed!"

Zane perked up at the mention of his tech. "I made the bottom project an image at the bottom matching it to the sky. It also uses a fire-electric ether fusion to produce a completely inaudible engine! Ether fusion hasn't ever been successfully tried before, but I figured out if you..."

Zane kept going with his geek out, but Canaan was no longer listening. As he became lost in thought, Zane became aware and once again, caught Canaan's attention.

"There's something else, isn't there?" he interrogated.

"Nothing gets past you...," Canaan sighed. "I found Finch."

"Finch...," Zane recognized. "I... understand what she meant to you. Do whatever you must."

"I will, but I will need to be equipped, getting her back won't be easy..."

"If you'd like me to give you this core crystal, I need you to take out two targets. The first, Zeke von Genbu of Tantal," General Adonis told Canaan.

"And if I refuse?" Canaan eyed.

"You can either earn a reward or receive a punishment for disobedience. I suggest not picking that latter, but we may do this however you please," he replied simply.

Canaan soon realized he had no way out of this situation, and agreed.

"Fine, but nothing is out of pocket, understand?"

"Make a list of expenses, I will compensate."

"Hey... do you really think that was a good idea?" Sarah asked me from within my dreams.

I stared at her black eyes blankly. "What was?"

She sighed. "Letting Acacia resonate with Malos. He hasn't been known for his good deeds in the past, and if someone fills his head with negative information, he will aim to kill you all."

"I trust her, she wouldn't have come all this way if she didn't really want to do the right thing."

Sarah began laughing hysterically.

I gave her a questioning look.

"You Mythra drivers are all the same. Good luck, Silas."

https/youtu.be/x_sD0W867XE

I shot awake, only to find myself in one of Theoscaldia's guest rooms. I rose from my bed before wandering around the palace. I had no clear destination in mind, I just wanted to think.

I had resonated with Sheba, and Acacia had resonated with Malos. When Malos went to fight Pyra, she, Lieutenant Uzuki, and their soldiers evacuated and took the Binoceros from us. Mythra was able to power one Siren shot and hit KOS-MOS directly, this forced KOS-MOS back into her core crystal. Pyra didn't seem very happy, in fact, she seemed almost scared... but I didn't know why I thought so, or why she would be. Defeat usually brings anger, she had no reason to really be afraid. But there was one other thing that didn't sit right with me about that fight...

"Can't sleep either, chum?" a voice interrupted my thoughts.

I turned to see Zeke sitting over the edge of one of the palace walls, staring out into the open snowy field.

"Yeah," I replied. "I've got too much on my mind."

"I feel ya. Any questions so far?"

"Why didn't you help fight back?" I asked.

"I'm sorry?" Zeke asked, taken aback.

I stayed on. "From what I've heard, you're one hell of a fighter, and your blade is extremely powerful. However, your blade is nowhere to be seen, but I know you have more than one. There's a reason you chose not to fight."

He laughed. "Nothing gets passed you, eh? Suppose I should suspect nothing less from her driver..."

He sighed before continuing. "My blade, Pandoria, is out on an errand, she'll be back tomorrow, however her absence isn't the reason I chose not to fight."

He pulled down his short, revealing something embedded into his chest.

"What is that?" I questioned.

"It's part of Pandoria's core crystal. I... almost died once and someone surgically implanted it into me. It's the reason I've been alive for so long. I am a blade eater."

"What does that mean?"

"Pandoria and I have a shared strength, and her life force becomes mine. However, there is no such thing as a perfect blade eater. While her core crystal keeps me alive, my body ages. Albeit, at a much slower rate, but right now, I could kick the bucket in my old age in any of these next few months, and Pandy would die with me."

"Oh... is that what Granny is?" I pondered aloud.

"Granny?" Zeke questioned.

"Oh right, her name is Nia. She sent us over here."

"Ah, I thought that might be the case. How is the old girl? Haven't heard that Welsh sass in centuries!" he laughed.

As he talked, I saw her face in my mind and heard her voice. "Is this why I was left here?" I'd hear her say at night, as if she was talking to an old friend. A friend that never spoke back.

"She's good. Kinda lonely, she's been waiting for something a long time, but I don't know what. She always seems like she questions herself, but last time, when Mythra and I talked to her, she seemed like she was happier for some reason. I didn't quite get it."

Zeke laughed. "It was Waylon who told her to stay in Leftheria, to guard Mythra's core crystal, and Poppi."

"He did?"

"Aye," he nodded. "She never understood why, but she obeyed. In the last moments we saw him, it seemed as if he knew everything that was to come..."

"Do you think Waylon really did though?" I questioned.

Zeke shook his head. "I don't think he did. Whenever the boy talked, he gave his all. He didn't hold back information, every now and then he was cryptic, a total enigma that one... But when he wanted us to know something, he did his best to make sure we knew what was on his mind."

Zeke looked up at the sky. "But on that day, I suspect the Aegis he was with gave him foresight of the next five hundred years. Just predictions, and nothing concrete. So he simply told us how we could prepare."

I sighed. "He sounds like he was a much better driver than I could ever be..."

Zeke laughed again. "You have it much easier than he did, you could easily learn to master her in this calm before the storm."

"Easier? How?! I only did chores and menial tasks before this, I wasn't prepared for this, and now I'm taking on an entire military power with a sword I can't use!"

"Waylon wasn't even from this period of time. He got thrown in prison on arrival, resonated with a blade of pure evil, accidentally resonated with Mythra, taking her from Rex, and then she beat him to a pulp until he learned to fight."

I was a bit taken aback. "She doesn't seem to be the type to do that."

"She's grown up a lot, hasn't she?" Zeke pondered. "She acts so much more like that Aegis Waylon was with. Calm, gentle, and only fighting for a clear cause, it's phenomenal, really."

I didn't care to question about the other Aegis, but I was curious about something else he'd said. "He... took her from Rex?"

"Yup! Touched her core crystal and all of a sudden she was no longer Rex's blade. Bugger never explained how he did it... Not that I think he even knew."

"Hey Zeke... am I... am I like him?"

Zeke took a minute to ponder. "Waylon? Well... you look a lot like him."

"I'm in over my head, I know I am! But I can't stop from pushing forward, even if it's against my better judgement..."

Zeke laughed. "If I told you right now that I was terrified that my people may reject me for choices my family made, and that I didn't know whether I could face them or not, what would you say?"

I thought for a moment. "I... I guess I'd say not to assume. Let them make that choice!"

Zeke smiled the warmest smile I had ever seen on a person. "That's exactly what he said, you're gonna do great, chum."

I nodded.

He patted my shoulder before standing up. "Come with me to Anastatia's I'll get you something to drink."

"Alcohol? At this hour?" I asked.

"Nah, never been much of a drinker, but Tantal has some killer fizz juice that I know you'll love."

I definitely didn't say no. As we walked through the town, the few people that were still awake, blissfully unaware of any of the fighting that had taken place, and greeted him as "King Zeke".

"I didn't think Alrest had any monarchies," I commented.

"Still doesn't," Zeke replied. "Centuries ago, Tantal and Uraya were both monarchies. And while we all became one nation, each nation still ran just as they used to, except we held the interests of other provinces in mind as well as our own. It's one of the most beautiful representations of unity I've ever seen."

"Really? Even though everyone's always arguing with each other?"

"What do ya mean?"

"I mean all over the TV! 'BCC and BAP bump heads again!', 'Blades should be controlled!', these headlines are so anger-filled," I pointed out.

"True, we all are entitled to our opinions. And there's no such thing as a family that always sees eye-to-eye."

We sat down at a wooden booth in the corner and Zeke bought two fuzz juices. We began drinking them immediately, as the cool bubbles of the carbonation quickly quenched our thirst.

"What about you Zeke?" I asked. "What do you believe? ...I'm reference to blades, of course."

"Me?" he laughed. "Well, blades aren't just like any sword or gun, and yet they are. One time, two common criminals used two blades to steal from people. However, eventually one of the blades saw truth when Rex showed her what being a responsible driver should look like. This blade murdered her driver, in full knowledge that she'd return to her core crystal and lose all memory."

I continued listening as I drank the juice.

"I met the Architect before he died. The man responsible for creating this entire world. He said that blades were simply data processing units, and time and time again, this is prove true. However, a blade's first instinct is always to serve their driver, until the decide they should be feeling differently. This is why it's important that you and your blade understand each other on the deepest of levels."

He looked at me sternly. "Waylon and Mythra shared a connection more powerful than anything I can ever hope to comprehend, and at the same time I connect deeply to Pandoria. My wife, Mòrag, used to be so perfectly in sync with Brighid and Rex with Pyra, Nia and Dromarch. You need to have a deep connection with any blade you should have. In some ways, the BCC is correct. Blades that are rejected or not treated well are a dangerous weapon, but any sword or gun not treated well is doomed to break or go off unexpectedly. But when you truly care for your weapon, it will protect you when you need it. But when a man's fires a gun, the gun protects him, but it's not the gun that is responsible for firing. Your job as a driver is to know when to fire, and when to show mercy. Please, for her sake, never forget that."

I had wanted to ask more questions, but we were interrupted by the sound of a table cracking.

We turned suddenly to see Acacia getting into one hell of a fight with a drunk. I immediately jumped to her aid but was blocked off by KOS-MOS.

"Oh, KOS-MOS," I greeted. "Are you alright?"

"I am fine. The resonating process worked perfectly, I am Acacia's blade," she responded.

"So you don't remember anything before you were resonated?"

"That is how blade's work, now if you'll excuse me, it seems Acacia has gotten drunk," she said.

"Bring it on KOS-MOS. I won't lose like last time!" Acacia challenged.

"Command received, challenge excepted," KOS-MOS answered before knocking her across the face, knocking her out.

Zeke and I both winced as she hit the floor. KOS-MOS threw Acacia over her shoulder and walked away.

"You need to have a talk with her when she wakes up chum," Zeke advised.

"I... don't want to sound like her parent or something," I responded.

"She's Malos' driver now. If she teaches him to do whatever he wants, he'll end up just like he was last time," Zeke warned.

"Yeah, I'll have a word with her."

Word Count: 2,731

Character Count: 15,241


	21. Chapter XXI

THE FOLLOWING CONTAINS GRAPHIC DESCRIPTIONS OF EVENTS NOT SUITABLE FOR ALL AUDIENCES. IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU BE 16 BEFORE READING. READER DISCRETION IS ADVISED.

Book III: Stolen Valor

Chapter XXI

"Hey bro, there's a pretty blonde over there, you should get her number. Get your mind outta killing people for awhile," Zane urges Canaan through his headset as he approached Theoscaldia, in Tantal.

The blonde was indeed very beautiful, but he wasn't interested. He preferred to be married to his work.

"No thanks, I'll stick with what I have," Canaan replied.

"You mean depression and your edgy outlook?" Zane teased. "Well it's alright, I did a quick search, that girl's the powerful blade that escaped with an unnamed driver from the testing lab. There's a pretty good reward for her, wanna engage?"

"No," he said plainly.

"Wait, what?! Why?!"

"She's Adonis' problem, I'm not interested in doing him any favors. We're here to specifically kill King Zeke von Genbu, afterwards I will hunt down Queen Mòrag Ladair von Genbu in Uraya."

"Right, right. You sure you wouldn't want to get a girlfriend eventually though?"

Canaan stayed quiet before responding. "Positive, she'd only get in the way. Speaking of, how's Violet?"

Canaan was referring to Zane's girlfriend, he'd met her at a bar and they kicked it off quick. She had beautiful, purple eyes. Canaan was honestly just surprised that Zane actually landed such a pretty girl.

"She's doing fine. Although I'm not sure how long she's gonna believe I'm simply a computer tech developer for the BCC."

"Just make some semi-advanced AIs, nothing compromising of course. That should help make your story more believable."

"She wants to meet you, Canaan."

Canaan sighed. He wished he could keep people as far away from him as possible, but he didn't want to limit his brother's options in his quest for solitude. His brother belonged in society, that much was clear, but he was still hesitant.

"I-I'll think about it."

"Azami, you ready to go?" I called to her through her room's door.

"Of course my darling! Just a minute or two," she said happily.

I walked over to Sheba, who was already ready to go, and floating around in her bathtub.

"Do you have everything you need?" I asked her.

"Anything I don't have you can provide later," she said in a stuck-up manner.

"Nothing too expensive, Granny gave me a lot, but I'm not made of money," I cautioned. "And sorry I awoke you so abruptly, I promise we'll have a proper time to introduce on the way there."

"Well then I guess we're already exceeding your usefulness then, huh peon?" she scoffed rudely.

"Peon?" I thought to myself. Juliani and her blades had called me that. She seemed like a demanding blade, so I did my best to bite my tongue from that point on.

I approached Acacia's room and was about to knock on her door when I heard arguing.

"Will you stop that?!" Acacia yelled.

"You become a complete child when you start consuming alcohol. The most efficient action to restrain you is to render you unconscious," I heard KOS-MOS respond.

"Why are you so wor—" Acacia started before being cut off by me knocking on her door.

She groaned and opened the door. She was wearing an undershirt and sweat pants.

"What is it?" she asked, annoyed.

"Hey, do you mind if we have a quick chat?" I asked.

She sighed again as she held her head, obviously hungover. "Yeah, come in."

KOS-MOS began packing up while her and I sat on the foot of her bed, as there wasn't any chairs in the small room.

"Hey, you resonated with Malos, remember?" I started.

"Yeah, what about it?"

"Do you know how he was five hundred years ago?"

"Well New Tornan philosophy called him one sanctified by a great hero to do the Architect's will."

"No, Malos was a murderer that's responsible for sinking a continent and causing Mythra to sink another," I explained.

"How did he force Mythra into doing it?"

"She doesn't remember, but the history book says that he killed someone she loved, forcing her 'true power' out. Point is, he lived however he wanted to live. If he sees his new driver doing the exact same thing, I'm scared we'll see a second Aegis War," I cautioned.

She sighed. "He talked to me when I touched his core crystal. I was brought somewhere I didn't recognize and he asked me what I wanted most."

"What'd you answer?"

"Power."

It made sense, it seemed like we'd need a lot of that. "What'd he say?"

She seemed kind of uneasy. "He said I wouldn't have to worry about that anymore."

Even KOS-MOS shot a questioning look in our direction.

"Just... be responsible and stay safe, we don't need KOS-'is worrying about you," I cautioned.

She looked at KOS-MOS, who'd stopped for a moment at the mention of her name, before she sighed and returned to her task.

"I'll... keep it under consideration."

Soon, we were all up and getting ready to meet up with Zeke when Rafi interrupted me.

"Silas, can Rafi have word with you?" he said meekly. He seemed much sadder than normal.

I got down on one knee so I could see his face. "What's up Rafi?"

"It about Poppi. Last night Rafi was cleaning Poppi and making sure parts were functioning properly, but she randomly started eye-cleaning protocol."

I was no engineer, but I knew that the eye-cleaning protocol always made it look like she was crying, and understood that it shouldn't happen too often, as her cameras were extremely advanced and rarely got dirty.

"To make it weirder," he continued. "She started it after I had just cleaned Poppi's eyes. But it not only that! Poppi activating it constantly. Rafi try asking her what is wrong, but she just won't talk to Rafi! Rafi think that Poppi's AI is creating a form of depression, and Poppi just keeps trying to hide it."

"Keep a close eye on her and try to remind her that you're there for her constantly. It could just be a malfunction or it could be for real, so you'll have to make sure that something is actually wrong," I reasoned. After all, an artificial blade shouldn't be able to have too many complex emotions, right?

Once we'd finally met up with Zeke, he began discussing where we should go next

"With you two being the new Aegis Drivers, you have to learn how to be as one with your blade, luckily I know just the person to teach you."

"Oh no you don't!" an unfamiliar female voice said.

A short girl, maybe five foot three, with short green hair and large, circular glasses walked into the room. Her clothing was adorned with lightbulbs and I immediately assumed she must have been a blade.

"If you think it's a good idea for you to exert yourself like that you've got another thing coming, Prince!" she scolded Zeke.

"Relax Pandy," Zeke laughed. "I'm going to send them to Uraya and have Mòrag train them! She'd be much better at it than anyone!"

She rolled her eyes and then sighed before seeing Poppi.

"Poppi!" she squealed excitedly as she wrapped Poppi in a tight hug

"Pandoria! Poppi missed friend!" Poppi responded.

"I missed you too! Next time warn me before you blow yourself up and disappear for five hundred years!" Pandoria complained.

I noticed her core crystal had a small triangle cut out of it, which I assumed was the piece imbedded into Zeke's chest.

"While this is all good fun and all, we have to get going," Gabriel pointed out. "Odds are the farther we get away from this place, the less danger all of you will be in."

"No need to worry about that," Zeke laughed. "However I do believe you may get tired walking all the way there."

"What'd you have in mind?" a male voice spoke.

We turned to see Malos walk into the room.

"Well you certainly took your time," Acacia scolded.

"Well would you look at that," Malos said. "The drunk managed to beat me here. Shocker."

"Oh Malos you haven't changed a bit," Zeke sighed.

Acacia looked like she had a few... course words she wanted to say, but I shot her a look and she calmed herself.

Apparently Malos caught my look too because he immediately jumped on it.

"So you're the leader of this broken little powwow are you?" he further antagonized, but he soon eyed Mythra. "And the driver of what appears to be an Aegis as well? Howdy, partner."

Mythra wasn't even phased. "You done acting like an ass yet or can we move on?"

Malos laughed. "Don't mind me, by all means, let's see how far we can take this."

Zeke sighed. "I have a few ships out back. Over the past few centuries I had a team figure out how to build ships like the Monoceros, ones that didn't require titans to operate. I will lend you one of them to use for your transportation needs."

"Thank you Zeke, that's not even necessary," Acacia thanked.

"Just try not to wreck the bloody thing, just had her repainted."

I laughed. "We'll do our best."

We ended up walking outside of the city to Genbu Port, where we had docked when we got here. We passed some man we hadn't seen before, but paid little attention to him. Zeke flipped a few switches that led back to an area full of about twenty or so titanless ships. All too soon, we said our farewells and we were off to Uraya.

"You had a squadron of men, a weapon of mass destruction, and KOS-MOS... how did you fail?" General Adonis asked Lieutenant Uzuki and Pyra angrily.

"They are currently in the possession of an artificial blade, it nullified our ether grenade and she appears to have immense strength," Uzuki reported.

"I have a new weapon for you, Lieutenant," Adonis sighed.

"Sir, I don't know if I—" she started to protest, but Adonis cut her off.

"Save it. I always knew your siste—," he corrected himself. "The Colonel had a few screws loose, so I had a plan b ready. It will be your duty to bring her in along with anyone she's conspiring with. Now leave us," he ordered.

She nodded, saluted, and walked out, leaving Adonis with Pyra.

He began to stare her down, and they stood silently for about five minutes before she decided to speak up.

"General I'm so so—" she tried apologizing, but he simply didn't care.

"I don't understand you Pyra," he started. "I create you, give you life, a personality! I make you into something that can have its own thought, and THIS is how you repay me?"

She tried not to cry as she looked down in pure shame. She kept her legs tightly together and slouched down, holding her hands together down by her waist. She looked so scared, her face red, she was trembling.

"I could've just made you a lifeless doll like KOS-MOS. Maybe then you'd actually concentrate instead of FUCKING AROUND LIKE A TWAT!" he shouted at full volume right in her face, making Pyra jump and whimper at the same time.

Her face went a deep red as tears streamed down her face. "I-I'm sorry... I-I— I didn't mean—"

He slapped her across the face, throwing her into the ground.

She didn't try to fight back, after all, she had failed. She was a weapon, with one purpose, and she couldn't even accomplish it. She was a failure in every way, so maybe this was exactly what she deserved. For making him worry, for disappointing him.

He grabbed her by the neck and lifted her up onto her knees before roughly grabbing her hair and using it to throw her head into his fist as he punched her repeatedly.

Each time it's leave a huge welt, but by the time he'd hit again, the first one had healed. That was the beauty of a blade to him, they never showed when they were breaking. They didn't bleed, they only healed. They felt pain, and could always feel more.

He stopped abusing her as she lay there in a puddled mess of her own tears.

"Now, you can help me in a different way. You can't seem to figure out the purpose you were designed for, so let me show you a new one," he commanded as he pointed her head towards a certain part of his body.

He wanted her to pleasure him, and she did. She was a failure, so any success she could have in his eyes, she wanted.

By the end of it all, all of this humiliation, he told her he loved her and cared for her, and she was content.

He would have new orders for her later.

Readability Level: 11th-12th Grade

Time Taken: 6 Hours


	22. Chapter XXII

Book III: Stolen Valor

Chapter XXII

Thanks to the ship, we were already waiting to dock at Garfont, Uraya. Uraya was full of cherry trees that would glow a gorgeous pink, and on certain rate occasions, the rocky, watery land would be covered in the pink pedals. They would glisten in a gold light and was known by the locals as petal rain.

Of course, I had to make sure I gave Sheba the opportunity to have a conversation, and I had her introduce herself to us, along with Malos and Azami, since neither of them had much of an opportunity to speak either.

"We are Sheba, lover of beauty, wealth, and banquets!" she said in a high-and-mighty tone. "To wit, we dream of assembling our own entourage, and to that end, we must acquire all the assets we can. We expect you to support our noble cause."

"Doesn't sound very noble," Malos laughed.

"And what is THAT supposed to mean peon?" she said irritably.

"Oh nothing," Malos grinned. "Just curious on how 'noble' hunting for a harem can really be."

Sheba immediately got red in the face and pulled her weapon.

"Sheba! Please not in the ship, we don't need to walk there!" I pleaded.

Luckily, she listened to me, huffed, and left to the back.

"Malos, can you try not antagonizing her please?" Acacia asked.

"With the way she was speaking? Face it, she deserved it," Malos laughed.

"Probably, but we're in this together, so we might as well put our differences aside. Think you're up to challenge?" I said.

Malos rolled his eyes. "Whatever."

"So what about you anyway? What's your story?" Gabriel asked.

"Don't remember and personally don't care to," he shrugged.

"Aw, come on! I bet there's way more to it than that!" Kasandra added.

Malos shrugged and looked away.

"Poppi have question for Malos!" Poppi said, shyly approaching him.

"Why are you so cautious? I don't bite THAT often," Malos joked.

"Poppi watched Malos' core crystal get destroyed, how is Malos still alive?" Poppi questioned unexpectedly.

Malos raised an eyebrow before an image popped into his brain, one he couldn't explain. He grabbed his head as a sharp pain hit him and he got up suddenly and left the room.

"Malos, where are you going?" Acacia began to interrogate, but he was already gone.

"Oh well...," Azami interrupted, before smiling excitedly. "My turn to talk about myself!"

The ship finally finished docking. And the Urayans called for us to exit.

"Sorry Azami," I said. "It looks like it'll have to wait a bit."

"Awwww...," she said loudly as we all walked out.

She followed close behind before getting my attention again.

"You might wanna watch out for the armed guards up on the walls up ahead, they don't appear to trust that us," Azami explained.

I looked around and only saw blue ground and blue grass, some pink flowers, cherry pedals, and water. No walls to be seen.

"Azami what are you talking about?" Acacia asked.

"Azami have ability to see really far away," Poppi explained. "Can even see places very far away!"

I studied Azami's face, it still looked eerily like a dolls, but I noticed that her left eye, the one that looked like a shattered part and left nothing but a plastic-looking socket. It was glowing bright purple.

"This eye sees all. This way I can keep track of my darling driver no matter where he is!" she giggled.

I ignored that bit for now and focused on what was ahead. "Nobody engage them if it can be helped. We're not here to make enemies, if it comes down to it, surrender. We'll let Zeke's wife know that he sent us and we should be able to clear any misunderstandings up."

"What about me?" Acacia asked. "I'm a BCC Colonel and I'm carrying a stolen blade." she ushered towards KOS-MOS.

"I'm here to," Malos pointed out. "And from what I'm gathering I'm not exactly anyone's white knight."

It amazed me how someone so cynical could pick up very subtle references so well. All of his thinking seemed very logical.

"I suspect if Silas, Mythra, and Poppi explain the situation, there is an eighty-four percent probability that they will see reason," KOS-MOS stated.

"Agreed," I added. "Let's go test it out."

"RAFI AND FRIENDS AWAY!" Rafi shouted excitedly as Poppi rolled her eyes.

We kept on walking, and after what seemed like twenty minutes of walking, we made it to a large gate. In front of us was a twenty-foot-high wall that stretched as far as I could see.

"State your business immediately," a voice said as immediately we noticed that our bodies were covered in lasers.

I immediately realized the gravity of the situation and immediately began explanation.

"I am the driver of the Aegis Mythra, we have come in search of Zeke's wife, Mòrag."

"What is the password?" another man shouted.

"Password?" I asked aloud.

Immediately we were surrounded by troops.

"Colonel Acacia Uzuki, you are trespassing on territory that is not yours, we have full authority to kill you here."

"She's not with them anymore! We're here in peace!" Mythra shouted.

"What's the plan boy?" Acacia demanded.

I used the device Acacia had given me and an ether shield appeared in front of me.

"Guys! Shields!" I yelled as our blades surrounded us and prepared for attack.

"Open fire!" one of them shouted and immediately we were covered in fire from all around.

We put up our shields, but they wouldn't last forever...

"Ready the shield-breaker!" one commanded as we heard a loud noise.

Before we could even react we heard a blast and a hello beam hit us all, draining our blades of all ether and knocking us on the ground.

They approached us from the front, as we were cornered against a wall and backed into a literal corner.

My shield remained fine and Poppi was unaffected by the blast, so we put up our shields as Mythra and Malos drew their weapons.

"Don't kill them guys! We just need to weaken their offense!" Acacia shouted.

"Rafi need a weapon!" Rafi complained.

Sheba, Azami, and KOS-MOS pulled their ether cannons and prepared to fire. Gabriel and Kasandra went back to back and readied for attack. All they waited on was for Poppi and I to drop our shields.

Before things escalated any further, we heard a loud roar that shook the ground beneath our feet and water flowed from seemingly nowhere.

The soldiers stood beside and a large, white beast approached us, growling as people stood out of his way.

The beast appeared to be a form of white tiger, with weapons to its side and an eyepatch covering a scar on his left eye.

It stared us down very menacingly before turning to the men.

"I know for a matter of fact I told you to never attack someone wielding a blade with a green core crystal, didn't I?!" It shouted in a deep voice.

"Sir! The enemy Colonel and the Aegis Malos is with them!" one explained.

"You IDIOTS! That doesn't change what I specifically told you not to do. Back in camp, a thousand pushups, all of you!" he shouted as they immediately went back inside.

He stared me in the eyes. "I'd recognize those eyes anywhere, what is your name, child?"

"My name is Silas, Mythra's driver."

"I see, and are you Malos' driver as well?"

"No, that would be Acacia," I said.

He nodded and turned to Mythra. "How long has it been?"

Mythra laughed. "If I had to guess, five hundred years?"

"Dromarch!" Poppi ran up and hugged the beast.

"Poppi?! It's a miracle to even see you again!" he said back.

"Rafi rebuilt Poppi after Nia showed him to Poppi!"

Dromarch's face seemed to grow sad at the mention of Nia. "H-How is she?"

"Ask Silas! Nia practically raised him!"

"You know Granny?" I questioned.

"I am her blade, after all," Dromarch confirmed.

"Granny's a driver? She didn't tell me much about her past."

"Not that you ever asked," Mythra added.

"So do you not remember me?" Dromarch asked Mythra.

I explained, once again, that she was slowly recovering her memory, but could only recall emotions and personal experiences with Rex.

"I didn't know blades could be animals," I asked Dromarch as he walked us into the city known as Garfont.

"Blades can take many shapes and sizes, some look like animals, others like monsters," he ushered towards a large, black, monster-looking blade. Ironically he was happily pushing a child on a swing set.

"That's Wulfric, one of the most tender-hearted blades I've ever seen, but with the face of a killer. It took him years to convince everyone here that he wasn't trying to eat them," Dromarch laughed.

"Why Dromarch wearing eyepatch?" Rafi asked openly.

Dromarch showed us his chest, a tiny fracture in his core crystal could be seen.

"One monster got a little lucky one day and grazed it. It caused a glitch in my physical appearance and now I wear an eyepatch."

We walked into what appeared to be the actual city. And it was a massive area lined with skyscrapers that added silver to the atmosphere and roads that were pink, full of vesses, and large militarized vehicles. There were plenty of blades everywhere, but it was still much smaller than Torna was.

"Welcome to the Blade Assistance Program," Dromarch welcomed.

"Do you have everything set up?" Zane asked Canaan through the headset.

"Yeah, I've taken note of every possible exit, entrance, guard post, room, window—" Canaan would've continued, but Zane cut him off.

"I don't need to hear about it bro," he laughed.

"...Fair enough."

"Get some rest tonight Canaan, I've got a date with Violet tonight!"

"Don't stay up too late either, I don't need you tired when I go face the king of Tantal himself," Canaan warned.

"I know, I know," he replied. "I'll be fine."

"Right," Canaan agreed. "Tomorrow... we kill Zeke von Genbu."

Readability Level: 11th-12th Grade

Time Taken: 7 Hours


	23. Chapter XXIII

Book III: Stolen Valor

Chapter XXIII

"Windows?"

"Locked."

"Exits?"

"Sealed."

"Traps?"

"Set."

"Weapons?"

"Locked and loaded."

"Sending weapons checklist now."

Canaan looked over the list and checked every single one of his weapons. His pistol and sniper rifle were both well cleaned, lubricated, and loaded. His sword and knife were without defect and his ether gems were ready to be inserted at any given time. He had to make sure he calculated every possible contingency. Failure was not an option, he had to get Finch back.

"You sure you want to go through with this?" Zane asked.

"Positive."

"I know how much you miss her... I do to, but is doing this to get her back really worth it! Maybe her core has been edited," Zane argued.

"That's what I have you for, are the concussion grenades ready?"

"Yes, they should allow you to knock out the guards for twenty-four hours."

"Good, then we can avoid unnecessary casualties."

"It sticks on contact," Zane warned. "Don't miss and don't stick it to yourself."

"Anything else?"

"You could use the concussion grenade on Zeke," Zane pointed out.

"No thanks, I'm not taking out some rich scumbag, I'm taking out a well-respected warrior who fights his own battles. I'd rather learn what that means. I will not end his life cheaply."

"Makes sense, I guess... good luck," Zane responded. "And make it quick, I have my date in two hours."

"Oh yeah Zane," Canaan thought to himself. "I'll be REAL careful. Would really hate to inconvenience you while I fight to the death."

Canaan moves quickly into the Theoscaldia Palace, jumping through a window as the guards changed shift. He knew exactly how many guards there'd be and where Zeke was going.

He threw out two concussion grenades and took out the guards in the room. A period of ten minutes of stealth later and all guards were incapacitated. The guards were all very relaxed, and there had been no close encounters.

There was one last obstacle, his blade, Pandoria. She guarded his room while he slept. He could probably beat her fairly easily, but that'd leave Zeke defenseless, and that wasn't what Canaan had been planning.

He dropped down in front of her and she pulled out a staff and spun it around her body.

"You'd better think twice before taking another step closer!" she warned.

"I have been hired to kill your driver, bring him out here immediately, and I will end this swiftly," he warned simply.

She looked unconvinced and pulled out a scepter. She was rather short, about five feet tall, and the scepter was half of her size, and at the top was a decorative tip.

She laughed. "You do know who you're messing with right?"

"Lightning force!" she shouted as a burst of lightning shot out of her wand.

He pulled his sword from its sheath and used it to absorb the blow. "I am quite aware, do you still wish to play this game?"

She looked irritated. "Guards!"

"All unconscious, there's no one to call," Canaan alerted.

"What's all this ruckus?" a man said as he opened the door behind her.

"No need to worry about him, my prince.

Go to sleep, you don't need to worry yourself," Pandoria tried to coerce.

"He broke into the bloody palace and is challenging me to a duel, I'd say this is definitely my business, wouldn't you say so, Pandy?" Zeke questioned.

She stayed silent.

Zeke looked Canaan in the eye. "You have power, chum. Haven't dealt with an assassin in quite a number of years, but I see the ol' general isn't being so lazy this time. Tell me, do you think you can beat me?"

Canaan readied his blade, a short sword, meant for quick parries and fast movement. He also had an eight-inch dagger and a full katana if he needed a change of tactic, also a handful of guns. "We will find out soon, won't we?"

"Indeed. Although it does bother me a tad," Zeke said. "Someone with skill enough to take out every guard without killing them, should've been able to take me on in my sleep, eh? You feeling cocky?"

"You're a warrior who's seen more days than most men can even dream of living. Killing you as such would've been such a waste."

"You flatter me. What is your name?"

"My name is Canaan, yours?"

Zeke grinned as Pandoria readied herself.

https/youtu.be/MjwttGizNEs

"I am the King of Renewed Hope, King Zeke Von Genbu, nicknamed 'Thunderbolt'. Often called Zeke, often addresses as 'The Zekenator'. This is my blade," he said, ushering to Pandoria. "Her name is Pandoria, the Spark of Tantal. And this..."

Pandoria threw him her scepter, he caught it at a part near the decorative part at the top of the scepter, oddly holding it upside down. The upside down handle shot out a double-edged, beast of a claymore and it coated itself in an blue electric glow.

"...is my sword, the Purple Lightning Dreamsmasher! I am the Bringer of Chaos!" he finished.

"Dude loves his titles," Zane joked through the intercom.

"Enough of this, let's make this quick," Canaan finished.

They lunged at each other and collided with their blades. Despite having such a massive sword, Zeke swung it with seemingly little effort.

Canaan jumped back and threw some light ether grenades, known for blinding, on the ground. Zeke plunged his sword into the ground, harmlessly destroying them all.

Canaan had already switched to his automatic rifle and let loose a few bullets. Pandoria jumped in front of him and protected him with an ether shield.

"Nice moves chum, keep it up!" Zeke laughed as he got pumped up and lunged back at me.

I switched back to my short sword, speed was everything.

"Stratospheric Thunder!" Zeke shouted as he brought his blade low and swung it upwards.

Canaan brought his blade down as the two swords collided, this launched Canaan in the air, but he had anticipated this effect.

He threw out his hoverboard and kicked off of it, now using it as a speed boost, zooming around Zeke and wailing on him.

Zeke dodged every attack with little effort, his reaction time was nothing to scoff at.

"Would be a shame if that toy were to get into a pickle," Zeke laughed as he passed his sword to Pandoria. It transformed back into a scepter.

"Electric Circus!" she yelled as she waved her wand, causing weapon of pure electricity to hit the hoverboard.

Canaan jumped before impact, but the blast threw him back, and Zeke, weapon in-hand, went for a finishing blow.

Canaan rolled back and threw down a device that created an emergency ether shield in front of him.

Zeke reacted just in time, and collided his sword into it, breaking the shield, but giving Canaan enough time to toss an earth ether grenade, sending a heavy pulse that threw Zeke into a pillar.

The shock shook the entire building and Pandoria reacted quickly, tending to her driver.

Canaan injected himself with some water ether, healing the flesh wounds he'd gotten from the hoverboard explosion.

Zeke charged in and Canaan got ready to continue.

Canaan pulled a pistol and let out some dark bullets, Pandoria summoned an ether shield. The bullets dissolved the shield and two hit Zeke, causing him to bleed extensively.

"My prince!" Pandoria cried.

"I've taken worse Pandy, you know that," Zeke calmed.

"You ready to surrender yet?" Canaan asked, more as a warning than a legitimate question.

"Hardly," Zeke laughed. "This fight has been quite exhilarating, I must say. Where did you learn to swing a sword? Or those arts? That's not a common fighting style, but it's very familiar to me."

"I had a little help learning, after years of practice, the blade practically swing itself," Canaan said simply.

"You're not lying, but you're being deliberately vague," Zeke reasoned. "If you don't mind, I'll be finishing this fight now."

Zeke reached for his eyepatch, much to Pandoria's dismay.

"Your body can't handle that Zeke!"

"If I don't fight harder, I'm a dead man anyways Pandy. Besides," he said, looking me in the eye. "I'm not afraid of risk."

She rolled her eyes and her core crystal began glowing brightly.

"Tell me chum, do you know the last title I have been called?" Zeke asked.

"Yeah, the Shining Eye of Justice," Canaan replied.

Zeke smiled. "What if I told you that's not a title, but a power so great, that it had to be concealed by the patch on my left eye?"

Canaan looked at him carefully. "I'd say your bluffing."

Zeke's eyepatch began to become covered in a blue flame and his chest and sword began glowing a bright blue as well.

"Behold! The Eye of Shining Justice!" he introduced before he lunged towards me.

He began swinging his weapon faster than I could even see. I was immediately met with stings of electricity and needed a plan.

"Canaan! Get out of there! It's no good!" Zane yelled.

"Not yet, I have an idea," Canaan responded as he dropped another earth grenade, blowing them both back forcefully. He then threw a large amount of smoke bombs on the ground and watched Zeke move, he could finally see Zeke's blue electricity being emitted from his weapons, and was able to somewhat counter the intense speed.

Canaan used an arm-mounted ether shield to block most of it, but could do very little attacking during this onslaught, as every swing of Zeke's blade could mean instant death. Canaan eventually jumped backwards, giving him much needed distance, and as the smoke cleared, Zeke panted and held himself up with his sword, chuckling.

"Using smoke to see through me? That's... a new one," he said, panting.

He brought his sword up to an attack position, looking at me now with both of his eyes.

"He's weak now Canaan, his body can't handle much more. Finish it," Zane said through the intercom.

"Copy that," Canaan said as he lunged towards Zeke with all he had. This time he used his long sword, as Zeke was much slower.

The swords clashed, and it was clear Zeke was playing defensive, as Pandoria was clearly out of power.

After a few parried hits, Zeke's sword powered down and returned to a scepter, and both him and his blade collapsed.

Canaan went to finish him, but Zeke shook his head.

"Don't bother," Zeke said as dragged himself up and laid against a wall. "I'll be gone... soon enough."

Pandoria seemed sad. "What's going to happen to me?"

Zeke sighed. "When I die, you will return to your core crystal. However from what I understand, there will be no way for you to resonate again, and it will be as if you died. But I told you this, remember Pandy?"

She sighed. "Yes, I-I'm aware. I guess I just... didn't want to accept it, but... I'm happy that I know you'll be my last driver."

"I love you too, Pandy," Zeke sighed.

"I'm sorry that it came to this," Canaan apologized. If he hadn't been so weak, none of this would've happened.

"Don't look so gloomy mate," Zeke laughed. "I would've died within the next month anyway."

"What do you mean?" Canaan asked.

"I am a blade eater. Part of Pandy is inside me, which is why I've lived for so long. But there is no such thing as a perfect eater, whether they be a flesh eater or a blade eater," Zeke explained. "My human side has been dying for a long time, this fight sped it up, but it was bound to catch up with me at some point. I want to thank you."

"Thank me? For what?"

"I missed being a warrior, and that fight was everything I had missed for so, so long."

"I have to kill your wife next," Canaan explained.

"You'll fail," Zeke laughed. "She's the closest thing to a perfect flesh eater that has ever existed, and her power is immense, she'll continue living for thousands of years."

"Don't underestimate me," Canaan argued defensively.

"I'm not, but I promise you that once she hears of today, you won't live to see another day. Beware boy, stay away from her," his face went soft. "You didn't fight me for a bloody paycheck, what's Adonis got that you're fighting for?"

"How did you know?"

"You fight with honor, you could've killed me in my sleep, but you didn't. You didn't do this for gold, he has someone you love, right?"

Canaan sighed. "He has a blade, named Finch."

"A blade, you say?"

"My mother was Gormotti, my father was Ardainian. My parents owed a lot of money to an... unsavory group. Fearing for our lives, they took me and my brother out of Alba Cavanich and ran for New Torna. On the transit, my mother was killed. We fled to Torigoth, Gormott. My dad found a blade there, and even though she was so forgetful... she became like a little sister to us, and meant the world to Zane and I... Years later, my father died while we were out one day, I never saw him or Finch again, and I took my brother to New Torna. We've been there ever since."

"There's more to it than that, isn't there?" Zeke asked.

"Yes, but I don't share it. I don't let myself trust anyone. Makes it easier on me, y'know?"

"Please, spare my son," Zeke pleaded, catching Canaan off guard.

"I have no contract to kill anyone other than you and your wife, he won't be involved.

"Good, good," Zeke said as he smiled.

Canaan stood and gathered his weapons.

Pandoria crawled to Zeke. Canaan, seeing her struggle, helped her up and put her next to him.

"I enjoyed every moment I had with you Zeke," she laughed as tears rolled down her cheeks.

Zeke put his hand up to her face, wiping away her tears. "You were the best thing to ever happen to this rugged ol' man Pandy. It took it a good five hundred years, but it seems my bad luck has finally caught up," he stopped to cough intensely. "Eh, Pandy?"

Pandoria lost all her composure. "I... I'm so glad I got to fight with you... An-And," she kept going as she sniveled and her voice went into a high pitch.

"Shhh...," Zeke calmed. "It's alright Pandy, I know how you feel. And yeah," he smiled. "I wouldn't rather have had anyone else here in my final moment."

"Not even Mòrag?" she questioned.

"Nah, kinda relieved to be honest," Zeke laughed while coughing. "I have a feeling she'd kick my ass and tell me to walk it off."

They both laughed until Zeke stopped, and his body fell limp. Pandoria rested her head on his chest before fading into small, blue ether particles, it looked like a bunch of snow as it all disappeared forever.

"Hey Canaan... you alright?" Zane asked, having heard the whole thing.

Canaan had to block out the voice inside his head that told him to give up and stop. "Y-Yeah, I'm returning home before I set out for Uraya."

"Roger, the titanless ship is waiting outside, get going before you get caught."

"Willco."

Readability Level: 11th-12th Grade

Time Taken: 12 Hours


	24. Chapter XXIV

Book III: Stolen Valor

Chapter XXIV

Long ago, the Garfont Mercenaries, led by a former freelancer named Vandham, focused on helping others in times of desperate need. In this time five hundred years ago, people lived on the backs of giant titans, who were dying out. Wars broke out between nations just trying to survive, and others pillaged and stole as the world burned. This made many children orphans and many wives widows. The Garfont Mercenaries were a large group of capable drivers who went out and brought aid to these people, offering protection and a sanctuary for those who had lost. Vandham, despite his rough, burly outlook was deeply and widely known for his caring, "bleeding" heart. He would rescue these orphans and raise them up in Garfont, where they'd learn to cook, clean, sew, fight, basically anything they could ever use in their life. These children, upon reaching adulthood, would be granted a choice: if they proved to be capable of wielding a blade, they could join the Garfont Mercenaries and help other children in need, they could stay and help tend to the village, or they could be given a ticket to anywhere they wanted to go and they'd start their life away from this place. It wasn't always pretty, but it was what many people needed.

Soon after Rex became the driver of the Aegis, he ended up on Uraya and paired with Vandham. Vandham taught Rex anything and everything he knew before sacrificing himself to protect Rex and the Aegis. Vandham left the Garfont Mercenaries to Rex, who had wanted nothing to do with war originally, but soon accepted his role. After all was said and done and Waylon departed from this world, Rex went back to the Garfont Mercenaries with the Aegis. He renamed them, and dubbed them the Blade Assistance Program. He didn't want this group to be associated with the war it had grown from, he wanted it to be a driving force that helped people grow accustomed to this new world. One of dry land and water instead of giant beasts and clouds. Many years later, after Mythra had gone to sleep to wait for Waylon, Rex disappeared with the Aegis, and was never seen again. While many argue as to the cause of his disappearance, none can deny that the BAP is exactly what Vandham and Rex would've wanted.

The blades of the BAP used to all belong to members of Rex's party. However, thanks to the rise of the Blade Control Corp a few hundred years back, they were forced to distribute the blades, using a special item known as an Overdrive Protocol, among official BAP Mercenaries. This was done to ensure that the power of blades wasn't given to any one person. However, due to a blade's ability to heal almost any injury, so long as their core crystal remains unharmed, and the fair amount of power they have even without their drivers, it was decided that the drivers would stay in Garfont, managing the business side of things, while groups of blades, called squads, did the missions they received.

Blade squads were made up of three members, one would be a designated leader, and the three would carry out missions together. Based on the level of difficulty of the missions they completed and the success rate, blades would be ranked from one to ten. Rank ten blades handled minor issues, often simple disputes. Rank one blades would handle extremely dangerous missions that could potentially result in casualties, however blades at rank one were highly respected by all member of the BAP, and it was very rare for a blade group to ever reach that level.

While touring the city with Dromarch, a squad did approach us, very meekly, I might add.

One of them was a very small girl, with ridiculously large, frizzled, blond pigtails and a white blouse. I had begun to realize that blades always looked similar to the element that they had. KOS-MOS and Mythra we're dressed in white and we're light blades, Malos had black eyes, black hair, and a black outfit so was obviously a dark blade. I first assumed she was a light blade. She introduced herself as Electra in a very ecstatic tone, I then realized her element was lightning.

The second one, Nim, had hair that mixed blue and green in a style similar to a globe. Her face was human but her nose was that of a dog's or a bear's, and on her shoulders say two little fox-looking creatures, one with blue hair and one with red hair that resembled colored flames. She was an earth blade.

The last one was also an earth blade, with the same earth themed hair that Nim had. At first glance, I thought this blade was a girl, but he was definitely a he, and said so himself. His name was Floren, and we could tell he was the leader, as he was the brightest, perkiest, and most talkative. He was super polite and charming, despite initially weirding us out a bit.

"Hello! Can we get your autographs?!" Floren asked Mythra, Malos, Acacia, and I super enthusiastically.

The other two looked super excited, like kids about to get Christmas presents, but without saying anything.

"Now, now, I believe you all have work to be done!" Dromarch reminded them, they immediately seemed to be disappointed.

Mythra immediately jumped forward and grabbed the piece of paper Floren was holding. "Why we'd love to!"

They all lit up excitedly again as Acacia and I signed the paper as well, we looked at Malos, who rolled his eyes.

"That's ok! Three out of four isn't bad at all!" Floren said excitedly as he quickly took the paper and the three began pushing and shoving excitedly as they all tried looking at it.

They all put their hands excitedly on top of each other as they chanted, "The Merry Band of Misfits triumphs again!" They then began returning to their duties.

"You're such a killjoy Mally," Acacia teased.

"Mally?" Malos asked, sounding almost amused. "What am I, your dog?"

"Well you're definitely acting like a bit—" she went to respond before Gabriel cut her off.

"You should try it some time, probably the last chance you'll ever get to give an autograph!"

"Pfft, you're just jealous they didn't ask 'The Great Gabriel' for an autograph," Acacia pointed out.

"What? Me? Jealous never!" Gabriel said before immediately calling out to Floren and them as they walked away. "Would you lot care for an autograph from the one and only Great Gabriel?" he asked while striking a pose, Kasandra posing with him.

"No thanks!" Floren responded.

"Yeah we don't know who you are," Electra added.

"You can help us with a mission some time though!" Nim offered before all three of them left.

"Tough break Gabriel," Rafi added. "I'm sure you'll be as cool as Aegises some day, or... maybe not?"

Gabriel pulled his club. "You want to tussle runt?"

Rafi immediately began running away. "Meh meh! Poppi! Rafi need your shield!"

"'The Merry Band of Misfits'? What's up with that?" I asked Dromarch, who up until this point had waited silently for them to finish their little squabble.

Dromarch let out a sigh. "Those three have the strongest bond of any squad I have ever seen. But they constantly fail missions by simple... shall we say, mistakes. They couldn't find a group, so they ended up finding each other and they've stuck with each other ever since."

"Huh, that's pretty neat. So they're a rank ten squad?" Mythra asked.

"Unfortunately yes. A rank one squad just finished their last mission for the day and are heading in now, they're very interested in meeting you," Dromarch stated.

"I believe you're referring to us, eh?" a voice I hadn't heard before said.

Three more blades approached us, one was a very tall, skinny, dark figure. "Greetings, I am Perceval," he said in a dark, brooding, yet charming voice. To his side was a long, slender sword and he had the demeanor of a warrior.

"I am Agate," a female to the left of Perceval said. "Pleasure to make you acquaintance!" she said as she curtsied. She was wearing a bonnet and carried a very large axe. At first it was hard to make out, but her name was the same as a very popular gem often sold as jewelry, and so I assumed she was an earth blade. She had a very kind and pleasant attitude.

"And I'm Corvin," the blade front and center said. He looked like a young boy with green eyes and blonde hair and wielded two swords. "I'm the leader of the Helios Trinity, good to meetcha."

We all introduced ourselves before Dromarch continued. "These three our BAP's most skilled squad, only one squad has ever been more skilled than these here."

"Who?" Gabriel asked.

Dromarch sighed as he looked at KOS-MOS, who stared back at him blankly.

"I... will explain at a later time, you came here for a reason have you not?" Dromarch asked.

With all of the commotion and people, I had completely forgotten the real reason we'd come here.

"Right! We were here to be trained by someone named Mòrag!" I recalled.

"Well then I hope I'm not interrupting," a female voice said from behind us.

We turned around to see someone in a military-style uniform. Straight-legged pants, an official-looking coat, and a hat with a visor that covered most of her face, but with holes cut-out so that she could see through it. Her hair was black, and her eyes were an amber color. She was also missing her left arm.

Behind her was a tall blade, similar in stature to Perceval, but he looked more mechanical like most common blades. However, he clearly had much more power than your average blade.

"I am Mòrag Ladair Von Genbu, queen of Tantal, part of the Ardainian Empirical bloodline, and second-in-command to the BAP. My blade's name is Aegaeon. And you are?" she introduced sternly.

"Oh... I'm Silas, this is Mythra, Acacia, and Malos," I introduced.

"Hey ma," Gabriel waved as Kasandra ran up and hugged Mòrag, who hugged her back with her right arm.

"Staying our of trouble, I hope," Mòrag said as she smiled at Kasandra.

"Not really...," Kasandra said while blushing.

Mòrag let out a chuckle, "Well he is Zeke's son. And he's roaming around with two Aegises so I imagined so."

"Nothing we can't handle, eh?" Gabriel grinned.

Mòrag then glared at Acacia. "BCC with Malos as your blade?"

"I've denounced the BCC, I'm not with them anymore, ma'am," Acacia said respectfully.

Mòrag sighed and looked at KOS-MOS, who stared back blankly. "And where did you get your other blade?"

"Adonis... said KOS-MOS was a weapon of his own design."

Mòrag became increasingly irritated. "KOS-MOS was one member of the most advanced blade squad the BAP has ever known, it was also the only squad to ever have two members."

"Who was the second member?" Mythra asked.

"That's not important now, you two came to train, yes?"

Acacia and I nodded.

"Good, meet me here bright and early tomorrow and I will... assess your skill. If you don't come willing to learn, I'll break you down first, you've been warned."

And with that, her and Aegaeon walked away.

"Oh! Another mission popped up!" Corvin said, snapping our attention back to then, we'd forgotten they were even there.

"Helios Trinity, move. Our next target is in Mor Ardain, get suited and let's go!" he commanded.

"Of course," Agate curtsied to us before walking away.

Perceval smiled at us, "I move with haste." He then left with Agate.

"Pleasure meeting you all, hope to see you all around!" Corvin said as he went to prepare a titanless craft.

As they left, Rafi had run back, with Poppi behind him, but she looked nervous.

"Silas! Poppi have news she wish to share about Pyra!" Rafi said in an excited state.

"Poppi? What is it?" Mythra asked immediately.

"Do friends remember when Poppi confirmed that KOS-MOS was indeed a blade and not artificial?" Poppi asked.

"Yeah? What about it?" Acacia inquired.

"Poppi did that by comparing power output of KOS-MOS' core crystal with the power output of other blades in the area, Poppi knew that KOS-MOS wasn't artificial."

"Poppi, where is this going?" Gabriel asked.

"Poppi had some difficulty conducting similar experiment with Pyra, as her power output was very big!" she began looking sad. "But, when Poppi compared Pyra's and Mythra's outputs and the energy used, Poppi came to a conclusion."

"Poppi... does this mean what I think it means?" Mythra questioned.

"Yes," Poppi nodded. "Pyra's data is identical to Mythra's. Pyra is not artificial either, Pyra is real Aegis. Pyra much weaker than Mythra, but," she began tearing up. "B-But that real Pyra... That is Poppi's friend from long ago..."

Readability Level: College Student (wtf that's a new one)

Time Taken: 10 Hours


	25. Chapter XXV

Book III: Stolen Valor

Chapter XXV

"Acacia, previous records support that you would stop doing this," KOS-MOS told Acacia.

Acacia already couldn't properly hold a thought, as the liquor had already set in.

"Leave me alone! I'm not a child!"

"Mental scans support that you have the exact same logical reasoning of a child when you ingest a large amount of alcohol," KOS-MOS argued.

"You don't know what you're talking about!" Acacia snapped.

"If you proceed with this demeanor I will restrain you once again."

"Don't bother," a voice said from a distance.

Acacia and KOS-MOS turned to see Mòrag standing in the doorway.

"You call yourself a soldier? The second in command of the entire BCC and here you are, drunk and acting like a child," Mòrag scolded.

Acacia approached Mòrag and looked her dead in the eyes. "You've gotta problem with me?"

"Honestly there's no point in even arguing with you at this point. How much did you have to drink?!"

"Enough to make me forget!"

Mòrag sighed, "I don't know what you're referring to, but you're a damned Aegis driver, why can't you act like it?!"

"I don't need you to tell me what to do!" Acacia yelled as she took a swing at Mòrag, hitting her directly in the cheek bone.

Mòrag barely even flinched and she chuckled a bit. "You have no idea who I am do you?"

Before Acacia could respond Mòrag made a quick chop to Acacia's neck. Acacia dropped to the ground, unconscious.

"I'll work on getting her to be a proper KOS-MOS, you have my sympathy," Mòrag stated.

"The archives I have access to support that Acacia is acting out of a constant state of mental distress, I apologize for her discourtesy."

"I see," Mòrag said as she thought to herself. "Nonetheless I expect both of you and Malos to be ready for training in five hours, understood?"

"Affirmative."

Mòrag nodded before leaving. Aegaeon followed her silently, KOS-MOS hadn't even noticed he was there. She sighed before grabbing Acacia and taking her back to the living quarters.

As Mòrag went back to her own quarters, she passed by Poppi, and stopped to talk.

"Poppi, you haven't been yourself lately, is something wrong?" Mòrag asked.

"What happened to Masterpon?" Poppi asked, in reference to the nopon that had built her.

"I'm afraid he passed," Mòrag informed. "He did some amazing things though. When he couldn't rebuild you, he decided to move on and help others, like you'd have wanted him to."

"Really?"

"Mhm, he even taught other drivers how to be drivers. You should've seen the look on their faces, a nopon who wasn't even a driver that could best them all. Especially with Coppi by his side."

Poppi blinked in confusion as she looked up at Mòrag. "Who Coppi?"

Mòrag had forgotten Poppi wasn't around to know. "Do you remember Poppi Buster?"

"Affirmative! Poppi Buster was very large robot built by Tora's Grampypon Soosoo! He was controlled by a robot that look similar to Poppi, and Poppi controlled that robot!"

"Yes, Tora turned that robot into an artificial blade. It didn't really do or say anything, and only demonstrated how to use a blade effectively," Mòrag explained.

"Oh...," Poppi thought. "Poppi doesn't know how to feel anymore. Poppi want to be real blade, but Poppi can only think about past, and feel sad that Poppi can't go back!"

"I see," Mòrag responded. "Have you tried talking to Mythra about it?"

"Mythra not remember much... Barely even remembers Rex!" Poppi began crying again. "How?! How did Pyra do it?! She remembered all that pain that Mythra had and she always wished she could forget! Now Poppi is in same boat and Poppi doesn't even know what Poppi doing here!"

"You're doing the same thing Mythra's doing."

"What?"

Mòrag gave Poppi a hug. "You're here to help a driver of the Aegis understand his role, just as Pyra did."

"Maybe... maybe it better off that Poppi didn't exist..."

"You were the only reason Rex, Nia, Tora, and Waylon lived that day. They wouldn't have made it if it wasn't for you. Are you telling me that you don't want to be able to help in their time of need?"

"It not like that..."

"Poppi, what about Rafi? The nopon that helped rebuild you? What's he like?" Mòrag asked.

"Rafi... nice and all, but he also kind of a wimp," Poppi said.

"He's following you into extreme danger, just as Tora did for you. Don't you think Tora also felt like a wimp?"

"What?! No! Masterpon was very strong!"

"He was, but only because you two fought together. He drew strength from you, did you not do the same for him?"

"I guess so... What Mòrag mean though?"

"I mean maybe you should try making him your driver, it might make you begin to feel better. Not as a replacement, but as a blade. You've been born anew, now, just like a blade, you must start anew. Just as Mythra, Malos, Kasandra, and any other blade."

Poppi thought for a moment. "Ok... Poppi will try! Thanks Mòrag, Poppi go initiate sleep protocol now!"

"No problem Poppi, be good, understood!"

"Roger!"

And with that, Mòrag went to bed herself.

"So what's your plan Silas?" Sarah asked me within my dreams.

"What do you mean?"

"When you find Adonis. Pyra is going to be crucial in reconnecting the Aegis' memory, you're not just walking in without a plan, are you?"

I sighed. "Kinda? I don't even know what or doing. I promised to help her because I didn't know what else to do with my life. But here I am, still just as confused as when I started."

She giggled. "Just as he was, eh?"

"Who?"

"Oh forget it...," she sighed. "You've been commissioned as a driver of the Aegis, it's one of the hardest and most painful honors a person can have, the longer you stay with her, the more you'll hurt. It's on her, and she knows that, but even so...," she trailed off as she got lost in thought.

I looked into her black eyes and wondered just who I was talking to. What did she know?

"...even so what?" I asked, trying to get her to continue.

"If you had to give your life right now in order to protect Mythra, would you?" Sarah asked.

"I... don't know? How am I supposed to know?!"

"When you were at the BCCHQ in Torna, when you found out that Mythra was in danger, you threatened the attendant and rushed back to save her. However, the person I'm talking to right now wouldn't have done that. Am I wrong?"

"I—" I stopped to think. No... that lady just worked there... why did I act so suddenly? I didn't even know how to be a driver yet, nor did I ever raise a weapon to a person. The way I reacted... it wasn't like me. It wasn't...

"It wasn't right!" I said aloud. "I'm honestly not even sure right now, if I were in that same scenario again, that I'd do what I did. I would've been lost, confused, scarred? I'm not the heroic type... why did I react like that? I didn't even hesitate!"

Sarah giggled. "I knew it! He's looking after you and her!"

I looked her dead in the eyes. "Who?"

"I think that's something you should figure out for yourself," her voice all of a sudden changed drastically. "Good morning Silas!"

I shot awake to see Azami sitting at the end of my bed, her marionette doll face looking directly into mine.

"I came to wake you up! Aren't you glad to have such an amazing blade such as I?" Azami giggled.

I briefly had to compose myself.

"Oh my! You look like you've seen a ghost! Or an entrancingly beautiful woman!" she began to fantasize. "If the latter is true, perhaps we could spend a few minutes getting a little closer..."

I felt my face fluster a bit and had to breathe so I didn't overreact. "Th-Thank you for waking me Azami, will you make sure Sheba is also awake? I need to get dressed."

Azami pouted a little bit. "Fine, if I must," she huffed as she walked out of the room.

"Thank you Azami, you're the best!" I encouraged.

"Yeah, yeah" she said sarcastically, although I could tell this cheered her up.

I quickly got dressed and ran outside to see Mòrag and Acacia already up, she was holding Malos' blade and she was sparring with Mòrag and Aegaeon.

https/youtu.be/-eU9N59CkkA

"A formidable performance, especially for someone who's still currently having a hangover," Mòrag stated.

"You're not too bad yourself, even if you're down an arm and with a considerably weaker blade," Acacia snapped back.

"Ah yes, it appears I'm at a disadvantage, hm?"

"Please, if you really think you're going to keep up with me, you've gotta either be the bravest mother fucker I've ever met or the dumbest," Malos challenged with his signature half grin.

"I suppose I am out of my league. Acacia, I want you to rush me with everything you have," Mòrag reasoned.

"Alright, but if you get hurt, grandma, I don't want to hear it," Acacia smirked as she jumped forward.

Mòrag swung her blade fiercely upwards, parrying Acacia so hard that she flew back barely catching herself as her feet touched the ground. Mòrag then proceeded to rush her instead. Moving at speeds Acacia could barely keep up with, Mòrag easily forced her to the ground.

"You're a blade hog, you have Malos there to support you, pass the sword back and forth, this is how you perform the strongest," Mòrag lectured. "This is basic knowledge, I thought a BCC Colonel would have understood that."

Mythra, Azami, and Sheba joined up behind me.

Mòrag turned to us. "Ah good, you're here. Pick a blade, we're sparring. If you use only one blade or you refuse to pass your weapons back and forth between you're blade and you, you will fail, you may both proceed to rush me now."

"The statistical probability that you will succeed in taking on two drivers with Aegises at once is very low," KOS-MOS warned.

"Are you challenging me KOS-MOS?" Mòrag asked.

"Logical error," KOS-MOS responded.

Malos laughed and looked across to Mythra. "Hey partner, you wanna show her our real power or should we keep holding back?"

Mythra glared at Malos.

He laughed. "Fine, I'll continue to play your little game."

"Use however much power you want to," Mòrag challenged. "But don't destroy anything. Know power, but know restraint, let us fight."

Mythra threw me her sword as we stood next to Acacia and Malos.

"Careful Silas," Mythra warned. "You're looking at one of history's most powerful drivers, and I know I'm forgetting something about her. I'll keep to foresight, don't hold back."

"She's five hundred and change years old, I'm not worried," Malos laughed as Acacia readied his sword.

Mòrag threw her sword back to Aegaeon, who promptly sheathed it.

"She's withdrawing her weapon? This lady really does have a death wish," Malos laughed.

Both Acacia and I both rushed her, with our blades right behind us. As we closed in, Mythra realized something wasn't right.

"It's no good! Pull back!" Mythra warned.

https/youtu.be/-eU9N59CkkA

I stopped in time, but Acacia definitely didn't. As she went in she was immediately launched many feet in the air before hitting the ground several feet back.

We then looked at Mòrag as a very large black scythe with a purple flaming trails swirled around her. She was also floating in the air.

"What is that?!" I asked.

"It's what I couldn't remember," Mythra answered. "Within her is the most successful form of a blade eater that has ever existed. She commands that weapon by her own will, be prepared for a tough fight."

"Sheba!" I called as I threw Mythra's sword back and took Sheba's conch shell ether cannon into my hands, she floated in her bathtub behind me.

"Whatever, let us commence in battle!" she cheered.

"Armor Crusher!" I yelled as I performed an art that shot out a heavy barrage of bullets, meant to break armor, but Mòrag simply spun her scythe around faster than I could see and the ether cannon shots were thrown from the air.

While I did this, Acacia threw her sword back to Malos, who made the sword burn a much darker purple. The blade lengthened tremendously.

"Monado Buster!" he shouted as he swung, but Mòrag dodged under it and flew towards him, knocking him square on his ass.

I had switched back to Mythra and we both held her sword as we floated in the air.

"Sacred Arrow!" we shouted as arrows of light began pouring down from the sky.

Mòrag simply spun her scythe and knocked every single one out of the air before throwing both of us to the ground.

Acacia, in a last ditch effort to claim victory, switched to KOS-MOS' weapon and threw it to her.

"Releasing final lock," KOS-MOS stated as her heels protruded into the ground, locking her in place. The headgear on her head dropped down and she locked onto her target. She immediately went to call her art, but before she could do so, Mòrag was already behind her and she launched KOS-MOS into Acacia, knocking them to the ground.

In what seemed like thirty seconds, Mòrag had bested every one of us.

"Not bad," she said. "I'd advise not being overconfident slobs next time and stick to actual strategy. I have nothing else to teach you today, we try again tomorrow, dismissed."

Acacia, annoyed, got up. "You didn't teach us anything! You just threw us on the ground! What're we supposed to learn from this?!"

Mòrag looked back fiercely, causing Acacia to flinch a bit.

"Maybe the bruises you have tomorrow will make the lesson clear, now I believe I said dismissed. Unless of course you wish to spar again?"

Acacia jumped back in surprise. "No, no! I'm good!"

Mòrag nodded. "Very well then," and then she left.

"We have a lot to learn...," I sighed.

"We're not going to beat her," Mythra said. "We just need to learn her technique, she doesn't want us to win, she wants us to understand."

"Did you get something out of that that I didn't?" Acacia questioned.

"Cool your pride Acacia, I lost too," Mythra glared.

"C'mon ladies, there's no point in arguing amongst ourselves, is there?" I interjected.

"Shut up Silas!" they both said simultaneously.

"Ok."

Mythra began laughing. "Don't look so beat up Silas, let's go spar. We've got work to do!"

This was honestly the first time I felt that Mythra had been absolutely genuine with me.

Readability Level: 11th-12th Grade

Time Taken: 7 Hours


	26. Chapter XXVI

Book III: Stolen Valor

Chapter XXVI

"Rafi come on!" Poppi urged as she ushered Rafi out the door.

"Why is Poppi in such rush?" Rafi asked as he looked at himself in the mirror.

Nopon are generally about three foot tall, Rafi was a whopping four foot tall. His fur was a green-blue color and his eyes were amber-colored. He had always known he was a biggypon, and every time he looked in the mirror he was reminded of that. He finally finished brushing his hair with his large ear flaps that doubled as hands, and reached from his head to his belly. His hands and feet were nothing but little nubs, and just like all nopon, his body was egg-shaped, with no neck or anything to differentiate his head from his torso, he often wore black clothing to help him look a bit smaller.

"Poppi want to see Garfont! And take big tram to Fonsa Myma, capital of Uraya!" Poppi said excitedly.

"Doesn't Poppi think it be weird that little girl walk around with big nopon?" Rafi asked self-consciously.

"It never bothered masterpon before!" Poppi reasoned.

Rafi still wasn't sure.

Poppi nodded. "Poppi can fix!"

"What Poppi mean by that?"

"Initializing Poppi Quixotic Tutelar," she said excitedly.

Her costume changed from her usual puffy shorts and red scarf to a full black and white, poofy dress. It resembled an old maid outfit. Her scarf turned into a bright red bow tie and her entire body looked less like a small child's and more like a fifteen year old's. Her blue hair also changed from one pony tail to two pig tails and her little beret changed into a small frilly headband, complementing her outfit.

"Is this better?" she asked.

"How did Poppi do that?!" Rafi asked, dumbstruck.

She shook her head. "Not Poppi, Poppi Quixotic Tutelar! Or... Poppi QT for short!"

"Poppi QT have much more power than Poppi alpha!" Rafi exclaimed. "Does Poppi QT have other forms?"

"That not important right now. Right now Poppi QT want to see city!" Poppi QT practically better.

"Alright, alright! Poppi QT win! We go see city," Rafi confirmed.

"Hooray!" she cheered triumphantly before jetting out the front door.

Rafi immediately ran out behind her. "Poppi need to wait for Rafi!!"

Poppi stopped suddenly, causing Rafi to clumsily fall into her.

"Hurry up Rafi!" Poppi QT complained.

"Sorry, Rafi not 'picture of fitness'," he laughed.

"Oh... Poppi must be excited, will attempt to cool systems, in the meantime, Rafi lead way!"

"Ok!"

https/youtu.be/ZltrcKf3NYA

Poppi pretty much led the way for the entire excursion, as she constantly asked other blades about where to go and what to do, but Rafi tagged along happily behind her. He was honestly just happy to see her not being sad or hiding it for once, and her new form definitely intrigued him. Where had it come from? What else was she hiding? Was it even any of his business?

"Rafi! Poppi QT found out something amazing!" Poppi said excitedly as she ran up to him.

"What Poppi QT find this time?" Rafi asked skeptically. The last few times she'd "found" something had all been children's playgrounds and what not.

"Big theatre in Fonsa Myma have very special show on in few hours! We must hurry to tram!" Poppi said excitedly.

"Alright, let's go!" Rafi said as they hurried and purchased some tickets for the tram.

The tram was a large, bus-sized carriage attached to a rope, which used a pulley system to pull the carriage all the way to Fonsa Myma in as little as fifteen minutes.

Poppi and Rafi ended up getting a car to themselves, as most of Garfont's residents were still working hard for the BAP. Odds were that the carts behind them would be full in anticipation of the show.

"Poppi QT never asked Rafi about Rafi's past," Poppi said in realization.

Rafi chuckled nervously. "Not much to talk about really."

"C'mon! Rafi must have some type of past! Tell Poppi!" she demanded.

Eventually, Rafi caved in. He found it hard to say no to Poppi. "Alright, alright. Rafi was born and raised in Argentum Gambling District. Rafi was always biggypon of group, even when compared to daddapon and mommapon. Mommapon has gambling addiction and made one bet too many, she murdered when Rafi was only four."

"Oh Rafi...," Poppi sighed, but Rafi kept going.

"Then Juliani took over in place of her father, who died under mysterious circumstances. We thought Juliani would fix everything, but she only hoarded beautiful women in her mansion and stepped on all men and nopon alike. Daddapon worked as engineer for Juliani, and when she cut daddapon's pay for the third time in a month, he talk to Juliani about it."

"What happen?"

"She made him take place in Argentum Entertainment House," Rafi responded.

"Poppi hold no data of Argentum Entertainment House," Poppi said.

"It horrible place, nobody except for Juliani and her entourage know what truly happen, but nobody ever leave alive, and daddapon die too, leaving Rafi at thirteen all alone."

"That awful! How does Juliani get away with that?"

"Juliani is nopon driver. Nopon drivers are very rare and always famous. Juliani is most powerful woman and nopon in all of Alrest, any illegal actions disappear," Rafi explained before continuing. "Rafi was taken in by daddapon's old boss. And forced to work for rest of Rafi's days. But Rafi not good engineer or mechanic and constantly mess up all the time! Rafi work under Juliani for many years, and it awful! One day, Rafi mess up sink and get sewage water on Juliani. Rafi had to escape and that when he came to Leftheria with Silas!"

Poppi sighed. "Well, Rafi can't be all bad, if you capable of fixing Poppi!"

Rafi seemed to cheer up a bit. "Poppi QT quite right! Rafi even compare to great masterpon Tora!"

Poppi giggled. "Don't get too prideful."

"Right, right," Rafi chuckled as the tram went to a stop.

They got off and picked up a couple tickets to the theatre. The play was called "The Rise and Fall of a Noble" and was a story that featured Vandham, the founder of the Garfont Mercenaries.

Poppi and Rafi grabbed some food. You wouldn't think, being an artificial blade and all, that Poppi would have a need to eat. However, she can actually extract fuel from food just as humans and blades did. After they finished, they went into the theatre and took their seats.

Soon, the show started. The story was about a man name Aquila Paronet Sol Esteriole, a very big man born into a very rich family of nobles. Throughout his childhood, he looked up to a man named Vandham, a freelance freedom fighter that fought for freedom of all. Uraya, at one point in time, looked down on other races, but Vandham, taught the people how to show compassion and revealed that they weren't all so different. Aquila read these books and became obsessed with helping weaker people than himself.

He often gave out lots of his own money, and some of his family's money, to help orphans and homeless people. This resulted in him getting thrown out of his own home. He wasn't deterred though, he joined with a flesh eater named Cole, and together they became freelance mercenaries, helping those in need. He even gave himself an alias, his new name was Vandham.

"Cole actually one who wrote play," Poppi whispered to Rafi.

"We almost never get paid Vandham! That bleeding heart of yours is gonna starve us both one day!" the actor that played Cole said.

"You're welcome to leave at any time old timer," Vandham's actor laughed heartily.

"Nah," Cole smirked. "I like your spirit."

The play was wrapped in beautiful displays of fireworks, loud banging sounds, peaceful music, and so many other stage props. It was breathtaking, and unlike anything Rafi or Poppi had ever seen.

Soon it showed the time when Rex met Vandham. Vandham challenged him to a fight, Rex used too much power from an actor that played Pyra, and Vandham soon taught Rex everything he could about being a driver.

"It's a driver's job to be smart with his arts, and protect his blade," Vandham counseled.

"Protect my blade?" Rex asked.

"Did that really happen?" Rafi questioned.

Poppi nodded. "Rex didn't understand how he could protect Pyra, especially when Pyra was so much stronger than Rex."

Later it showed the battle between Rex, Nia, Tora, and Vandham and Malos and Akhos. Akhos was one of Malos' associates at the time.

"They got Malos' chest piece all wrong!" Rafi pointed out.

Malos' chest piece had his dark purple core crystal surrounded by gold pieces, the one depicted in the play had just a straight purple chest.

"That because Malos lost power in Aegis War one thousand years ago, he regained power way later," Poppi said.

Poppi couldn't stop looking at the actor that played her, it was weird to see.

It was clear that Rex and Vandham were losing, with no other options left, Vandham took his blade's weapons and planted them in his thighs, and fought Malos himself using his wind blade's abilities, simulated by powerful air fans attached to his arms.

"What? Why did Vandham do that?" Rafi asked.

"Akhos' blade, Obrona, but off ether flow. It made all of us unable to fight, Vandham did that to channel ether flow through his body," Poppi said as she began to get sad and teary-eyed.

"Go Rex!" Vandham cried. "Just go! Live for her! Remember to fight your war!"

"I can't leave you!" Rex cried, but it was too late, Malos used his sword and killed Vandham.

His body hit the ground with a loud thud. Poppi had forgotten how sad that had been, and it hurt to see it again.

Rex didn't run, and Malos went to finish him off, and Pyra screamed, but it wasn't her own voice anymore.

"REX!!!"

The stage erupted in a flash of white light as a new actor took Pyra's place, but dressed as Mythra.

"Mythra!" Malos' actor laughed. "Looking good, thinks are heating up!"

"Pyra? You're?!" Rex's actor asked in confusion.

"I am NOT Pyra, she's a different self that I constructed, I am Mythra," she explained.

"Different... self?" Rafi asked, confused.

Mythra's power won that fight, but at the cost of Vandham's life. He was buried where he fell, at Olethro Ruins in Uraya. Not too far from where Poppi and Rafi were.

"And so ends the tale of Vandham, a great hero. His tombstone can still be seen in Olethro Ruins to this day," a narrator said.

After a few more words and life lessons, the curtains shut and the room was filled with applause.

"Yes! Yes! Bravo, bravo!" Poppi shouted excitedly.

As Poppi got ready to leave, she couldn't help but notice Malos up at the back, but before she could go talk to him, he disappeared into a cloud of black smoke.

Rafi caught Poppi's stare.

"Is Poppi alright?" he asked, not knowing that Malos was ever there.

Poppi snapped back into reality. "Yes, Yes! Poppi fine."

Poppi and Rafi exited to see all the actors outside, signing autographs and taking pictures. Poppi stopped and looked at the actor that had played her.

"Actor did amazing job playing Poppi," Poppi complimented.

"Why thank you!" she replied. "You have a very nice Poppi cosplay yourself, although I do admit the pigtails are a bit off, and the costume's a bit different."

Poppi looked confused, before realizing she was still in her QT form.

"Oh! This is Poppi QT, Poppi alpha look like this!" she said before turning back to her normal, childlike appearance before the astonished actor's eyes.

"Y-You're... the r-real Poppi?!"

"Poppi can't be making scene!" Rafi scolded as he saw what had happened.

"Oh right! Sorry!" Poppi apologized before turning back to her QT form.

"Oh my gosh I have to tell everyone!" the actor said ecstatically.

"C'mon Poppi let's go!" Rafi said before grabbing Poppi's arm and pulling her to the tram.

"Bye friend!" Poppi waved to the actor.

As they walked back, Poppi remembered something.

"Rafi wait! Poppi want to see one more thing before we go back," she pleaded.

Rafi nodded and she took them up a very large flight of stairs found in the middle of Fonsa Myma.

"Meh meh! So... many... stairs!" Rafi panted as they reached the top.

Poppi and Rafi both looked across at two tombstones in front of them.

"Poppi? This is..." Rafi began.

"Vandham's tombstone, this is where he died," Poppi explained.

"Who other tombstone?"

Poppi looked at it and read the name.

"Cole, it say he passed one hundred years ago," Poppi read. "He sure did live much longer than expected."

"Is Poppi ready to go?" Rafi asked.

Poppi ignored Rafi's question, and asked her own. "Rafi, do you want to be driver?"

"Rafi tried to be driver once, but core crystal not resonate with Rafi! Rafi had bloody nose for three days after trying!" Rafi complained.

"Would Rafi like to be Poppi's driver? Poppi can ask Gabriel to train Rafi, so that Rafi can help protect friends," Poppi offered.

"Was this the reason Poppi wanted to go with Rafi all day?"

Poppi nodded.

"Poppi...," Rafi said in deep thought. "Rafi would love to try really hard!"

"Oh how cute!" a voice unfamiliar to Rafi said from the background.

Rafi and Poppi both turned to see a small girl, the same size as Poppi alpha.

Poppi immediately disengaged her QT form, looking at the girl across from them in disbelief.

The girl was in a complete maid outfit, and her hair was black and went down slightly below her head, her eyes were red like Poppi's. Rafi wasn't entirely sure at first, but on closer inspection he knew that this was an artificial blade, just like Poppi.

"Lila?!" Poppi exclaimed in disbelief.

"Long time no see, sis," Lila confirmed.

"What is Lila doing here?!" Poppi asked in confusion.

Lila giggled. "Well I would personally love to beat you right here and now. To have a chance to show you how much I've grown, it'd be a dream come true!"

Poppi stared in confusion. "Why Lila not speaking in nopon dialect?"

"Oh please, Juliani would never allow that," Lila said, rolling her eyes. "You and your peon friends' presences are requested in Alba Cavanich, Mor Ardain. Be there this time next week or I'll hunt you down, understood?"

Lila then disappeared into thin air.

"What?!" Rafi said in astonishment. "Meh meh! Where did Lila go? Who is Lila?"

"Poppi is Lila's prototype, but Lila seem much different than she was long time ago, Poppi and Rafi must go warn others!"

Readability Level: College Level

Time Taken: 8 Hours


	27. Chapter XXVII

Book III: Stolen Valor

Chapter XXVII

"How has your research come along, Canaan?" General Adonis asked him.

"Well considering you finally gave me the book that actually contains accurate information from the last thousand years, rather than that trash you infect the public with, its gone well," he responded, agitated.

Adonis ignored his outburst. "Do you think you're capable of taking her down?"

"No, I will need better technology to prevent against ethereal and physical damage. She's a driver, so I will need something to help with my defenses," Canaan answered.

"I have plenty of things meant to deal with those filthy excuses for weapons, but do not forget she has power within her own being," Adonis warned.

"I'll be fine, so long as you hold up your end of the bargain," Canaan glared.

"Of course, just because you don't trust me doesn't mean that distrust is warranted."

Canaan sighed, "We'll see about that."

Later, Canaan went home. He took off his coat and closed the door behind him.

"Zane!" he called out.

Zane ran out in sweat pants, but was wearing no shirt.

"Shirtless? That's not like you. You're usually so OCD...," Canaan pointed out.

Zane laughed nervously. "Well... you see..."

Before he could continue, a woman, fully dressed in black leather, walked out behind him.

"Oh, so that's what this is," Canaan said in realization, before switching gears. "Hello Violet, how are you?"

"Oh I'm much better now than I was earlier," she giggled as she stared at him with a devious look in her purple eyes. Her hair went about halfway down her back, and was as black as her clothing.

"Ah, so then you don't mind leaving then, do you?" Canaan didn't really trust her either. He had trust issues, but that's what kept him alive.

"Of course not!" she said cheerily as she turned and gave Zane a very deep kiss, and uncomfortably long, before walking out the door. "Stay cute you two!"

Canaan waited until she was gone for sure before speaking, but Zane started first.

"Look I know you don't approve, but—"

"I don't," Canaan interrupted. "And bringing her here? Really? Are you sure she didn't see anything that could reveal us as assassins?"

"You're the assassin, I just invent things."

"That makes you an accomplice. General Adonis knew me by name, there should've been no reason he knew anything, are you absolutely certain she's not a spy?"

"Positive, she loves me, and she doesn't know a thing, I've hidden everything," he tried to convince.

Canaan was still uncertain, but he trusted his brother. "You have purple lipstick on your face, clean it up and then show me what you were making to help me with defense."

...

Dromarch stopped to talk to Mythra one night while they all trained in Garfont.

"You've changed a lot, you know," Dromarch told her.

She looked down at this blade that resembled a white-tiger. "Yeah, I'm aware. I think it has something to do with me being more relaxed this time around."

Dromarch nodded. "It is nice to have Malos on our side for once. Do you really think you can stay so calm for so long though?"

Mythra shook her head. "It seems I'm going to have to start trying with everything I have soon enough, I just hope Silas is ready in time."

Dromarch laughed. "Well, judging by your track record, I'd say he'll be ready soon enough, maybe a bit later than recommended, but he'll be there."

"I guess I'm scared to run him off, and honestly surprised I didn't run off any of my other drivers. But I remember someone telling me that I needed to act more kindly towards my drivers..."

"That was Waylon, and after the day he told you that, you did begin working at that. So is this where your new attitude comes from?"

"I guess so..., thanks for the chat Dromarch. I have to go to sleep, I need to do some thinking."

"Good night, Lady Mythra," he bowed courteously and she went off to bed.

...

"Do either of you know the difference between Ethereal and Physical damage?" Mòrag asked Acacia and I.

"I'm not sure I follow," Acacia admitted.

"Yeah me neither," Iadded.

Mòrag sighed as she grabbed Aegaeon's sword and sliced me straight through the torso.

I jumped back and dropped in pain.

A common blade in the background with a bitball bounced it in my direction and I immediately felt better.

"That was ethereal damage," Mòrag instructed. "Blades use it when fighting, it doesn't cause physical damage or bleeding, however it can kill you. The stronger your abilities are as a driver, the more life force you have to withstand these attacks. They can also be healed using ether."

"Interesting," Acacia thought aloud.

I jumped up. "What the hell was that for?"

"It was an example. I could also do the same to show you physical damage, if you'd like. However, that usually takes longer to heal and leaves scars," Mòrag explained threateningly.

I stopped myself from going further, "N-No thanks, I get it," was all I said before sitting down.

"Blades use ethereal damage, however history's most powerful blades can inflict physical damage as well. For instance, Jin, a notorious flesh eater and leader of Torna, a terrorist group from five hundred years ago, could easily cut off appendages and had done so multiple times. He could also channel his ether into speeds reaching that of light, however, this would make him unable to deal physical damage. Malos has the ability to cause both ethereal and physical weapons and armor to disintegrate with a touch from his sword, however Mythra seems to be the only known blade to only deal ethereal damage, however it's much more powerful than any known blade's ethereal damage," she explained.

This had been our whole week, learning all we could and training as hard as possible, however with the warning given to Poppi and Rafi, we could no longer afford to stay in Garfont, we had to go to Alba Cavanich, Mor Ardain. And soon enough we had loaded onto the ship and left as fast as we had entered.

We had some goodbyes from a few blade squads, including the Helios Trinity and the Merry Band of Misfits.

"Are you sure this is a wise idea?" Dromarch asked me.

"No, I don't," I answered. "However I resonated with Sheba without her permission, and I'll definitely need to make that right."

Acacia laughed behind me. "He already tried convincing us to stay and let him go alone, but..."

Gabriel finished her sentence. "Letting him go alone would be a strict violation of my hero's code!"

"Hero's code?" Malos scoffed. "I think you meant bastard's ego."

Gabriel paid no attention to him.

"Let us make haste! We need to go meet our true driver!" Sheba declared.

"We're hurrying Sheba, it isn't polite to leave without saying goodbye to those who have helped us," I told her.

She sighed, understanding. "Very well, just be quick."

"Yes ma'am," I answered politely, only because I knew she appreciated it, and I honestly wanted to be in better terms with her.

She nodded before disappearing into the ship Zeke had lent us.

"We all ready to go?" I asked everyone.

They all nodded, and KOS-MOS gave her usual "affirmative".

We loaded up, took off, and then we were on route to Alba Cavanich, Mor Ardain.

Little did I know the events that would begin to unfold.

...

Mòrag say calmly around some candles as she began to speak in her mind to thoughts that weren't her own.

"Do you think they'll be fine?" she asked.

"No Aegis driver is ever ready, but I think he will be," the voice said back.

"You never gave me your name," Mòrag pestered.

"I am you, just I have said these past five hundred years."

"How am I doing, medically?" Mòrag asked.

"You're fine, you'll last another five hundred years easily, but I suspect he's long gone," the voice told her.

"Yes, I'm aware, he was fading before I even left, I couldn't bear to see him perish," Mòrag reasoned.

The voice went silent before switching tones to a very serious voice. "Alert yourself, you've got company."

"Speak, boy. Or do you wish to continue in your cowardice?" Mòrag said aloud.

"I'm not hiding," the man behind her said. "You've just failed to turn around."

"So you wish to fight?"

"I bring my blade to bring you down, as I did to King Zeke von Genbu. Prepare yourself Queen Mòrag Ladair von Genbu, this fight will be your last."

Mòrag let out a chuckle. "I haven't heard that one in a long time, very well..."

She calmly stood up as Aegaeon joined her, however, she motioned him to stand and watch.

"Let us begin."

Readability Level: 11-12th Grade

Time Taken: 5 Hours

No Chapter This Week, I got a lot of testing to do!


	28. Chapter XXVIII

Book III Finale

Chapter XXVIII

"How do you forget your own birthday?" Canaan asked Finch.

"Look, I didn't forget, I just... lost track of time," Finch responded.

"You say that with a lot of things!" Zane laughed.

"Ooh! Can we see a big forest for my birthday?" she chirped excitedly. "I wanna see big trees and grassy plains!"

Canaan laughed. "For the Architect's sake Finch we live in Torigoth. Gormott's covered in forestry, you can literally go outside and see it."

"See what?" she asked, completely losing her train of though.

"Oh what are we gonna do with you?" Same asked while chuckling.

...

"That's why I'm doing this," Canaan thought to himself. "I'm not turning back now, I leave here today with my mission complete, or I die in the hardest battle of my life. Either way, I win."

Mòrag looked at him, unwavering. "You say you killed him, and now you claim to take my life as well?"

"I WILL end it here, or die trying," Canaan responded.

Mòrag nodded. "I believe you intend to back up those words then, boy? I fear you are out of your league, but very well..."

Her dark brown eyes grew even darker as her black and red scythe appeared in her hands as she spun it around herself faster than Canaan could even see before holding it in a fighting stance.

"Then let us commence."

https/youtu.be/1Clvj81QmTA

Canaan threw a strange device on himself, coating him in some sort of aura. He then drew his short sword and deployed an ether shield that was attached to his forearm, similar to the one Silas had, but much bigger.

Mòrag continued moving faster than Canaan could see, however his aura and shield absorbed most of the damage she was doing, otherwise he'd have died before he even took a step.

"Zane give me a read on her speed," Canaan demanded.

"I can't... she's too fast for the scanners, but her speeds seem to be approaching the speed of light itself, you may be out of your league here, bro," Zane answered.

"Maybe so, but that means she's not human, and I'm prepared for that," Canaan reassured before trying to get in hits, but they were in vain, as Mòrag was simply too fast.

"I'm impressed, most would have died by now, and you don't even have a blade, however I'm done talking," Mòrag said.

Her scythe was coated in a blue flame before she surrounded the two of them in a wall of fire. The fire burned hot, but did not seem to affect her at all. She used this to her advantage as she moved through the fire.

This, however, allowed Canaan to see where she was moving, as the trail of fire followed her. He pulled his gun and tried firing where he thought she'd be, although he was still only taking guesses, as she could outmaneuver the bullets themselves.

She caught the bullets and threw them back at him, which he blocked, thanks to his ether shield.

He threw down a light grenade, and it went off, letting out a large flash that blinded Mòrag.

He jumped on his hover board and flew straight towards her, dealing whatever damage he could in the short time he had. However even blind, she blocked his attacks with ease.

She slashed upwards, slicing his hover board in half and slicing straight through him, although the ether damage was still minimal, thanks to his aura.

She regained her sight as she threw herself at him and he was met with a barrage of attacks that he couldn't even see.

"Canaan I know that aura is powerful, but you can't keep taking this kind of damage!" Zane warned.

Canaan got knocked against the wall and Mòrag slammed her scythe against his shield.

"So where's your core crystal?" Canaan asked as she began crushing him with her outrageous strength.

"You're no fool," Mòrag laughed. "But you are foolish, I'll finish it quickly."

"You assume I'm willing to die," Canaan retorted before an ethereal explosion erupted off his belt, throwing her back a long ways, but doing almost no damage to him.

"The aura gets stronger with any ethereal damage given to it, she doesn't use physical attacks," Canaan reassured Zane, but quietly so that Mòrag couldn't hear him.

"Whatever you say...," Zane said with uncertainty. "Your vitals are fine, just give it all you got."

"Willco," he said as he jumped in and started slashing with accuracy and power.

The ether grenade had done its damage, and she was certainly much weaker, but she wouldn't be for much longer.

"I still have my trump card," Canaan thought to himself. "Best to save it for now."

He did a good number, however it seemed she was converting his physical damage into ethereal damage, another power that would prove to be difficult to deal with.

She launched him backwards as he hit the ground with a hard thud. He jumped up quickly, in time for her to knock him back again.

"Alright, no more time to waste!" Canaan thought as he discreetly and quickly deployed an object underneath himself before Mòrag knocked him back again.

He got up quickly and clashed against her, sword against scythe. He had to get her in position so that the blast would hit her dead on.

"C'mon! Is this all the queen of Tantal can offer me?!" he baited her.

She, being the prideful warrior she was, took it immediately and threw him back with one slash.

He slid behind her and she spun around and hit him square in the face with the handle of the scythe, throwing him back over the trap he planted as she rushed towards him.

He stood quickly and planted his shield into the ground, and she clashed against it. It stopped her in her tracks.

"How long do you plan on hiding behind your shield like a coward?" she asked.

"As long as it gets me to where I need to be!" Canaan retorted.

He pressed a button, and it dispelled the shield, letting out a large ether blast that knocked her off-balance, and he used the opportunity to slam his hilt into her chest, throwing her down onto the trap he'd placed.

With the press of a button, a large electrical shock covered her entire body as she screamed and the scythe disappeared from her hands.

"Didn't want to do that, but had to keep the fight fair, don't you think?" Zane said.

"Wh-What did you do to me?" Mòrag asked.

"You have a blade in you, right? That was an ether disruptor. Right now you have no access to your internal powers.

Canaan threw down his now destroyed shield and felt something was off.

He turned around quickly to see Mòrag's blade, Aegaeon, bring a chroma katana down quickly to Canaan's neck.

Canaan parried it quickly and knocked him back.

He joined up with Mòrag and she took his weapon.

"I don't need it to win, I'll strike you down with this," she said.

Mòrag and Canaan met, blade to blade, and clashed hard and fast.

They danced their swords around each other at alarming speeds, and Mòrag only having one arm greatly reduced her ability to fight without moving at the speed of light.

He slashed back as she jumped backwards and then Aegaeon used himself as a kickstand and she drove herself towards him.

Canaan slid underneath her and stabbed upwards, puncturing her intestines.

"I WON'T LOSE!" Canaan yelled as he readied himself.

She limped over and Canaan jumped up, ran to her, jumped, and brought down his blade. She attempted to block it with Aegaeon's sword, but he shattered the blade's sword and cut her down her skull, and she fell to floor as blood rushed out. Aegaeon returned to his core crystal at the death of his driver.

"Mission accomplished!" Zane said excitedly.

"No, it's not," Canaan argued. "She has a core crystal inside of her keeping her alive, I have to break that to kill her."

Mòrag got up off the ground as the cut in her skull began to heal.

"Tell me, boy, how do you still breathe?" Mòrag asked.

"I studied everything there was to know about you, and took even rumors and legend to be absolute fact. Fun fact, Alrest has been raised in lies and understands nothing of the past. The people are too worried about guns, blades, and Aegises to understand that the real threat is the one who's fed them these lies since the beginning."

"And yet you claim to have killed my husband and aim to kill me?"

"It's complicated. I didn't kill Zeke, his age did, but I definitely murdered him."

"Is that so?" Mòrag asked before he nodded, and then she continued. "You know, I must thank you."

"For what?"

"Thanks to you, I realized something I haven't been able to for the past five hundred years."

"Oh?" Canaan asked, interested. "And what's that?"

"Cereza took many things from me that day. My blade, my dignity, my humanity, and in return she made me her puppet. However, I never understood what blade she implanted within me. My body forced itself into the shape of the blade contained in the core crystal within my body. I looked like a small girl."

"But you don't look like that now, what changed?" Canaan asked.

"She inserted more than one blade in me," Mòrag answered. "She put a part of herself in me, which is why I appeared as a small girl, but as the years went by, I changed into the form of the other blade she put inside me that dreadful day."

Mòrag said nothing as a blue rapier, a form of sword commonly used in fencing, appeared in her hand. It was covered in flames.

"The blade she killed, my blade, Brighid. She inserted a part of her into me. I only just realized it now, when I heard her tell me to keep fighting, as I know she would want me to."

The blue rapier began to turn bright white as white flames erupted from it.

"Now, boy, let us finish this, once and for all," Mòrag challenged.

Zane jumped in and spoke to Canaan through his headset. "Her physical ability has changed dramatically. She can't move at the speed of light anymore, however she can still dodge at up to Mach two, her attack speed is half the speed of sound, your aura is still very strong, you can win this. The power comes from her heart, place your blade there and you've won, got it?"

"I know where this power comes from, I'll finish this here," Canaan assured.

https/youtu.be/P9mQTmXxU8E

"Then let us end the greatest battle I've had in five hundred years," Mòrag said as she moved her thumb and her rapier began to extend itself into a long, flaming whip. "But you no longer fight Cereza's puppet, you stand before the Flamebringer, wielding the Jewel of Mor Ardain! Show me your will, boy!"

Canaan sheathed his short sword and pulled out his long dagger, one shot was all he needed.

He pulled his pistol and popped off a few shots as he closed in, she whipped the bullets out of the air before dodging and kicking him to the ground.

He jumped back and dodged as she attempted to whip him, it was still ether damage, but he'd already taken quite a beating, even with the aura, he didn't want to chance it.

Her eyes began to glow as she slammed the whip into the ground and a wall of pure white fire shot out straight towards him.

He narrowly dodged before she retracted her whip back into a sword and stabbed him in his side, narrowly missing any vitals.

He sliced at her and she jumped back, extending her whip back out.

"Her swords do physical damage!" Zane warned through his internal headset.

"Oh thanks Mr. After-the-fact," Canaan retorted sarcastically.

"You alright?"

"I'll live."

Canaan threw out a handful of earth element grenades.

Mòrag launched herself back enough so that it didn't hurt her, but it did make her lose her balance.

Canaan quickly knocked her to the ground, and went for the kill, but she rolled out of the way and kicked him back.

He pulled his pistol again and shot out a few shots, but Mòrag's evasion was still very high, and she rolled out of the way.

They were surrounded in a wall of white fire and the building started burning around them.

"How determined are you boy?" Mòrag asked threateningly.

"Enough," is all he replied before he rushed her.

She retracted her whip back into a sword and they were locked in a battle of blades. He made quick swipes in different directions, but she knew swordplay, even with one arm, she kept up well.

He tried to go in for a quick slash, but she easily dodged and kicked him square in the torso, knocking him back. Before he could fly back very fall, she extended her sword back into a whip and slashed him across the chest, throwing him into a midair spin.

She took the opportunity to launch him into the ground with a kick.

He rolled out of the way as he began to hear music playing through Zane's intercom.

"Are you seriously listening to rap right now?" Canaan asked, annoyed.

"I'm bored, focus on the fight. You don't have time to complain about my music."

Canaan rolled out of the way as her whip crashed down right next to him.

"Fine, but I'm gonna kick your ass later," Canaan said, making an empty threat.

Canaan noticed her flames begin to dim, and he took his opportunity.

He rushed her again, but as he approached, he shot out a barrage of bullets from his pistol.

She dodged them, a few of them grazing her skin, she became alerted to her waining power, and tried to give it one last push.

She retracted her sword and they engaged each other.

Blow after blow, shot after shot, the building falling apart around them and the smoke clouding their vision, they fought.

They both gave every bit of energy they had into each of their attacks as each parry could mean life or death for either of them.

He dropped an electric grenade on the ground and continued to parry until the very last second when he jumped back, letting the grenade explode, electrocuting Mòrag and instantly lowering her defenses.

He jumped in for the final blow as she tried one last time to parry him.

The blades slammed together.

"One," Canaan thought as he parried.

"Two," he continued as he struck from a different angle, she parried againZ

"Three," he said aloud as he lowered his dagger to strike upwards with alarming strength, throwing the weapon from her hands.

Before she could react, he plunged his blade into her heart, cracking the core crystal.

"Y-You...," Mòrag said in disbelief.

Canaan didn't say a word as he pulled his dagger out, wiped the blood, and sheathed it.

"I'm almost curious as to how you beat me," Mòrag said as she tried to stay on her feet.

"I read history, I knew how you fought. I've had an aura on me this entire time that absorbed ether damage. It shorted out with your last successful strike, but it did it's job."

"I see, so once you got rid of my speed, it was hardly a fight..."

"I wouldn't say that, I've never been in that one-sided of a fight in all my life. Hold your head high, you fall as a warrior," Canaan tried to ease her.

"Agreed. But there was something else, you knew my swordwhip would run out of power, how?"

"Historically Brighid's swordwhip was blue, the only time it was white was when it was imbued with the power of an Aegis. That Aegis sleeps with Waylon, therefore the power you had was simply residual, and not guaranteed to last."

"Very well, then I accept defeat. Though I was more powerful, you were more prepared. I suppose it's my fault for not keeping up with the technological advances of the past few hundred years."

"I have a request. Would you give me the name of your son?"

"Why? So you can kill him too? Not so easily," Mòrag scoffed.

"No, I made a promise to your husband that no matter what I wouldn't kill him," Canaan swore.

Mòrag stared him in the eyes, before telling him.

Canaan nodded in acknowledgement. "You have my word as well as he did."

"You remind me of me, boy," Mòrag said. "I hope you find peace with yourself."

"I don't know if I ever well, but I thank you."

Mòrag smiled, one last smile, before her body went limp and she fell backwards, hitting the ground with a loud thud.

"Mission accomplished," Canaan told Zane.

"Copy that, bring it in bro, ship's up top the building, you have the spare hover board, right?"

"Yeah."

Canaan walked out of the smoldering room and into the small entry way, he looked to see a white tiger with an eyepatch looking at him.

"Mòrag... She's?" He began to ask in his deep, elderly-sounding voice.

"She's been assassinated, yes," Canaan confirmed.

"I see," the tiger said. "He who sheds a man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed. She was a warrior, and died as such."

Canaan said nothing in response and walked right by the tiger, head held high, but not taking a second look at him.

"And what will you do?" the tiger asked.

"I'll take back what's mine, give her to someone who'll take care of her, and then I'll face judgement for what I've done," Canaan answered, not looking back at him.

"Very well, you leave here a broken man, but you're head is clear, I respect that."

"Thank you, blade."

"Dromarch," he corrected.

"Very well. Thank you, Dromarch."

Canaan flipped out the alternate hover board and shot up into the ship before taking off.

...

"Well done," Adonis congratulated, applauding him and laughing. "Well done indeed, you've been very useful."

"Enough ass kissing, my payment?" Canaan demanded, bluntly.

"Yes, yes, of course," Adonis agreed, causally tossing him the core crystal. "One Finch."

"This concludes our business, do not contact me again," Canaan warned before walking to the door.

Two guards blocked the door before he left and Canaan sighed.

"Actually I have one last job I want you to do."

"Why am I not surprised? I said no, Adonis."

"It wasn't a request," Adonis ordered with a sadistic grin. "You'll do it, or say goodbye to that waste of an inventor you call a brother."

"What?" Canaan immediately realized the danger. "The girl!"

"Lieutenant Violet Uzuki is a very clever girl, as we speak, she could kill him at any moment."

"You bastard!" Canaan yelled before yelling into his internal intercom. "Zane! Zane pick up damnit!"

"You have one last chance, Canaan."

Canaan pulled his machine gun, loaded on earth-type bullets and shot open a window in the BCCHQ and jumped out and pulled out the hover board, moving at speeds that the machine wasn't meant to handle.

He blasted into his house on the outskirts of town to find Zane, bound and on his knees with Violet pushing her katana into the back of his head.

"Don't take another step boy, you have your orders to kill the son of King Zeke, do you accept?"

"Don't do it Canaan!" Zane yelled before she kicked him square in the jaw, knocking him over and causing blood to flow out of his cheek.

She giggled. "You're much braver than I gave you credit for Zanie."

"So I guess no fifth date?" Zane laughed.

Canaan pulled his pistol and unloaded at her.

Before the bullets hit her, another person came down through ceiling and the bullets bounced off of her.

She was obviously a dark blade, wearing a skimpy, black outfit. She wore a small pair of glasses and had a black and purple helmet on her forehead. Her skin was a dark tan and she reminded him a lot of the blue-haired blade he'd seen with the Aegis outside of Theoscaldia the week he'd killed Zeke.

"I will not allow you to do that," she said threateningly. "My name is T-elos, you'd do best to surrender immediately."

"Last chance cutie!" Lieutenant Uzuki laughed.

"Fuck off you cunt," he snarled.

"Oh well...," she said before lifting Zane up, pushing him forward so that he stumbled forward, and then she pulled a pistol and shot him in the back of the head.

His body hit the ground with a loud thud.

Canaan had no time to be sad, he ran out of there as fast as possible, he wasn't prepared for this fight.

T-elos jumped behind him and kicked him square in the leg, breaking both of his calves.

He went down easily and she threw him into a nearby river, leaving him to drown.

"Mission accomplished, let's head back to HQ, we've got to track a traitorous sister."

"Affirmative," T-elos agreed, and they left the scene.

Readability Level: 11-12th Grade

Time Taken: 9 Hours


	29. Chapter XXIX

Book IV:

Of Princesses and Peons

Chapter XXIX

"This is never going to work out," Sarah told me inside our dream as I slept.

"Why do you always gotta be so negative. You should smile more often," I teased.

"You still have no bond with Mythra!" she said.

"I know, I'm working on it."

"You don't have a bond with any of your other blades either," she responded skeptically.

"I'm working on that too..."

"What about the people who are traveling with you? Rafi? Acacia? Gabriel? Do you even know why any of them are following you? Do they know why they're following you?"

"I...," I began, but couldn't think of an actual response.

"Silas, do you even know what you're doing with Mythra?"

"I don't... She asked me to help her find her memories. So I went and helped her get a diary. She said it wasn't hers, but King Zeke told her to look in the back of the book, but she hasn't said anything to me yet!"

"And why haven't you asked her? You've been training with her for the past week, did it not occur to you to ask?"

"I thought she'd tell me on her own!"

"Do you not even care about what you're doing?!" she scolded.

"Of course I do! I'm finally doing something with my life!"

"And what are you doing?" she asked. "Other than following her blindly to your death. You are her driver, act like it!" she scolded again before I woke up.

...

I got up, got dressed, and hurried to the main room, everyone else was already awake.

"You sleep ok?" Mythra asked.

I calmed myself down. "Yeah... yeah, I'm fine."

Gabriel looked skeptical. "You shouldn't sleep so late, we can't talk about game plans without you here, chum."

"Right," I said. "I'm sorry."

"Sorry doesn't help," Acacia said as she plopped down in a chair. "We need you to fix it, boy."

"Right...," I responded before my thoughts began to drift to Sarah and I's conversation.

"You alright there kiddo?" Kasandra asked.

"Silas look like he stressed!" Rafi added.

I decided to ask around. "Acacia, why are you here?"

Acacia looked up in surprise. "Beg your pardon?"

"Why are you helping Mythra and I?"

"Simple," she sighed. "I've been lied to for a long time, you seem to be in search of a truth that I wish to find as well, and I can't exactly return home."

"Gabriel? What about you?"

Gabriel laughed. "Dad always told me that I'd one day watch over the Aegis' driver, and that you'd need Kassy's and my luck if you were gonna succeed."

"Rafi?"

"Rafi love adventuring way more than stinky Juliani work! Rafi will follow Poppi to end of earth!"

"Mythra," I said, turning to her. "I promised to help you recover your memory, yet you've told me nothing. How's Brighid's journal coming along?"

She sighed. "Nothing. The last pages were ripped out. However, I remember everything since I was resonated, except for Waylon."

"After we're done here in Mor Ardain, what's our plan of action?" I continued asking.

"I think we should check back with Nia, she might have an idea where we can go next to recover more of my memory," she recommended.

I nodded. "Then we'll head back to Granny's afterwards."

"Without me, I presume?" Sheba piped up.

"If that is your wish," I responded. "We're not holding you against your will."

"We'll be better off anyway," Malos said rudely. "Don't need the whiney flirty bitch anyways."

"Quit being a dick, Mally," Acacia shot at him as Sheba pouted.

I had forgotten Azami was even in the room, which is surprising considering she was a massively tall embodiment of a marionette doll that was infatuated with me.

She came up behind me and hugged me as she picked me up. "Oh wow, you're so cute when you're being authoritative!"

"Azami please put me down," I pleaded, half panicked.

"Aw whatever, just trying to have some fun with my adorable driver!" she giggled unsettlingly.

"We are quickly approaching Mor Ardain, please prepare to disembark," KOS-MOS announces from the cockpit.

"Oh yay, can't wait to have fun in the middle of the desert," Malos said, rolling his eyes

"The request was to prepare to disembark, I did request your input," KOS-MOS said.

"Whatever," Malos said as he disappeared. "Just let me know when we've landed."

"Why are you flying anyway KOS-MOS? The ship's equipped with an autopilot," Acacia pointed out.

"I ran out of processes, and decided to designate my own objective. Is there a problem?" she asked.

"No, no! Of course not...," Acacia responded. "So wait... you got bored and decided you'd learn to fly the ship?"

"Affirmative."

"I can't believe you thought Adonis made her," Mythra laughed.

"Yeah, yeah, I made a mistake," Acacia admitted.

"This is your neck of the woods, eh Acacia?" Gabriel pointed out. "What's Alba Cavanich like?"

"Gang-controlled, sandy, hot, and not a fun place to be caught alone in."

"It that bad?" Poppi asked.

Acacia sighed, "It's... an acquired taste."

"Acacia, we've landed," KOS-MOS stated.

Sheba was the first one out the door and down the ramp.

"Mally, move your ass!" Acacia commanded as Malos emerged from his room and flipped her off.

"They are toxic for each other," I whispered to Mythra.

"I don't know, he seems at least entertained. Just as long as he's not destroying all of Alrest this time, I think we're good."

To our surprise, Juliani was waiting for us at the dock, it seemed she had been expecting us for awhile. Her two blades, the one adorned in what looked like water bubbles and the other that looked identical, only with icicles instead of water, Praxis and Theory, were standing by her.

We all exited the ship and met her face to face.

"This is quite the coup you've got here peon, I'm quite impressed. Does it really take this many peons to protect the Aegis?" she asked with a smirk.

I laughed, trying to play it cool. "We seem to get in enough trouble to warrant it."

She nodded. "You've been quite the superstar since you left Argentum. Wanted by that fool Adonis and completely banned from New Torna with an incredibly enticing bounty on both of your heads, my, it's simply enthralling!"

"You're not trying to turn us in, are you?" Acacia asked.

"Ah, the traitor, any traitor to Adonis is an associate in my eyes," Juliani laughed. "No, no! It's far too much fun to see you all drive him crazy!"

"What's your problem with Adonis? Figured you too'd be buddies between all the tricks you two are known for pulling," Gabriel accused.

"Watch your tongue, lest I cut it out!" Theory said as she drew her katana, pointing it at Gabriel.

"Calm yourself, Theory," Juliani answered. "He's but a simpleton, pay no mind."

She sheathed her sword and stood background.

"Where is Lila?!" Poppi jumped in and asked.

"Poppi?! Why, I thought you were decommissioned five hundred years ago! How on Alrest are you here?!"

Rafi had been hiding in the back, he seemed terrified of Juliani.

He poked his head out so she could see him. "Th-That'd be Rafi, Juliani... ma'am!"

She glared at him with an intensity even I could feel.

"You?" she said in disbelief before laughing. "This has to be a joke, you couldn't even fix a sink without having it blow up in somebody's face, much less a precious gemstone like Poppi."

"Rafi did fix me," Poppi interjected, "but how did Juliani get ahold of Lila?!"

"Simple," Juliani responded. "I am a descendent of Tatazo, therefore Lila is rightfully mine. She's been passed down through the family."

Poppi looked like she was having a lot of issue accepting that, so I took the chance to jump in.

"Juliani, It seems that the bracelet you gave Mythra had a core crystal in it," I brought up.

"Did you resonate with it?"

"Yes Juliani. But if you didn't mean to give it away then we'd be happy to put Sheba into your care if she'd like," I proposed.

"Nonsense boy," she laughed. "I knew the core crystal was there the entire time, the fact it took you so long to realize that just shows the intelligence of a peon."

Sheba seemed annoyed. "So this wasn't a mistake?! You just gave us to these peons?!"

"Is there a problem Sheba?" Juliani asked, giving her an intense look.

Sheba immediately cooled down and responded with no argument. "Of course not, Juliani."

"So why did you call us all the way on the other side of Alrest? It wasn't to waste our time, was it?" Gabriel asked.

"I heard that an artificial blade was roaming around Alrest, I had to check who it was, and Lila gave me the information I needed. I didn't even believe her until I saw her with my own eyes."

"What Juliani mean?" Poppi asked.

Juliani smiled at her.

"I want to invite you home, Poppi."

Readability Level: 11-12th Grade

Time Taken: 5 Hours


	30. Chapter XXX

Book IV:

Of Princesses and Peons

Chapter XXX

We ended up following Juliani to her private club in Mor Ardain. She insisted on showing us and Poppi where she'd be staying and how she'd be living if she agreed to stay. However Mythra and Gabriel both agreed that Juliani wouldn't be taking no for an answer.

I took a good look around Alba Cavanich on the way there.

Acacia wasn't kidding, this place wasn't a beauty by any means, however it was interesting. Apparently Mor Ardain had moved it's capital up north a few hundred miles, and this was what was left behind. When the once proud empire of Mor Ardain acknowledged itself equal to all of the rest of Alrest and relinquished control of Gormott, the decision wasn't exactly unanimous. Alba Cavanich became flooded in protestors, and Emperor Niall was forced to flee the city. This was five hundred years ago.

Over time, the riots became more orderly, and gave birth to many gangs and criminal organizations specialized in the art of hate crimes, rape, extortion, and human trafficking. Originally, the hatred was targeted at the Gormotti, but it didn't take long for it to spread to whatever made money. However if you looked away from the pile of trash that was the city, you could see the desert that surrounded it, and the sun glimmering off the sand, as hot as it was, was simply a sight to behold.

Alba Cavanich of the present was a very packed city that was built upwards. Nobody owned any building or factories outside of the gangs there, and most buildings were large skyscrapers with no windows at all and heavy, metal doors that held residents. The inside of each door was no bigger than a tiny closet and didn't even have a air conditioning, bathrooms, or kitchens. Just a bed. There was one community washroom at the very bottom with about three toilets and showers, out in the open, and were the only way people could use the bathroom in a building of about a hundred people each. It was... disgusting. Large families would have to buy a separate "apartment" for each member, and they weren't cheap. The gangs also made sure each citizen made just enough to be too poor to ever leave and usually killed anyone who tried.

As anyone could imagine, the people weren't the friendliest, but with the constant threat of theft, rape, and death looming above their head who would be? From what I heard, the rape problem had gotten so bad that even men and the elderly were targeted as much as anyone else.

All too soon, we arrived at a large building, the walls were shaking and loud noises could be heard from the outside, despite the building being made of solid concrete and metal.

"Mate," Gabriel stopped me and whispered in my ear. "Don't look anyone in the eye when you get in there, get to your destination and don't stop, I'll stay out here with Kassy, she doesn't need to see what goes on in there."

I didn't get a chance to ask what he was talking about, he grabbed Kassandra's hand and was gone before we knew it.

"Oh pity, it seems he had something better to do," Juliani shrugged.

I felt a my stomach tie itself into a knot, as I now wondered what I was walking into.

"Where did Malos go?" Acacia asked.

We looked around to see that he was nowhere to be found either.

"It appears Malos has the ability to move through space and time, and triggered this ability earlier while you were distracted," KOS-MOS answered.

"He... what?" I questioned.

"He can teleport, no need to worry about him, let's just focus," Mythra concluded.

"Is Rafi ok?" Poppi asked.

I then looked back to see Rafi drenched in sweat and shaking, he looked absolutely terrified, even almost about to cry.

"Rafi just hot... is all! Not accustomed to desert," he quickly said in defense.

"Rafi, go with Gabe, I'll watch Poppi," I immediately said.

"What? No! Rafi will...," he began to say.

"It wasn't an option," Mythra backed me up.

Poppi stroked his hair. "Poppi will be fine Rafi, go see the city."

"R-Right...," he said, taking a step back, before turning and running after Gabriel, not looking back.

"If you are all done splitting up, are you ready?" Juliani asked impatiently as her blades remained silent.

It was just KOS-MOS, Acacia, Poppi, Mythra, Sheba, Azami, and I.

"The ugly doll is not permitted," Theory said simply.

"Acacia isn't that ugly!" Azami argued.

"Hey fuck you!" Acacia retorted. "They're talking to you!"

"What?!" Azami gasped, "Judging someone they've never met! That's so rude!"

"You're not ugly, Azami," I defended. "Please wait out here, we'll be fine."

She sighed and nodded. "I'll be watching you, don't get yourself into trouble!"

The door opened up and we were rushed inside before we could react.

It was very dark inside, the music that was playing was loud and had a loud bass drum. The crowd was full of women, all shrieking and acting like crazed lunatics, pushing and shoving each other. It would've looked more fun had they not been so... disorderly.

There were a couple men in the crowd, but they were only allowed to wear underwear, they seemed to be cooking and serving everyone, and were being kicked and pushed around like the small kid on a playground. I saw a couple of them start crying, which only made them get berated more intensely. It was sickening...

There was a stage, and I realized that there were no instruments on stage at all, just one girl. Her eyes were red and her hair was black, and pulled off to the side in a single pigtail. I realized she was a blade, as I saw a core crystal in the shape of a musical note on her upper chest. All of the music that was playing was coming out of her as she made noises, indistinguishable from instruments, into a microphone that had an ether dagger on the other end. Her dancing was entrancing and you could tell she was having a blast.

"All right you lovely ladies, that's my last one for tonight!" she said in a very cute, high pitched voice. ""Your lovely little singer Sonata will be here all night! You can adore but no touching, see you later!"

"That blade look familiar to you?" I asked Mythra quietly.

She shook her head. "Not at all."

Juliani continued to lead us into a back room, and I was hurrying behind her, but making sure I kept pace with my blades and Acacia. KOS-MOS seemed unfazed by everything going on around her, like usual.

I felt a hard poking on my back as I spun around to see Sonata looking up at me dead in the eyes. She had a simple black top with short sleeves and wraps around her arms that were designed like a piano. Her shirt was decorated with musical notes and she had in a fairly short skirt with a musical staff wrapping around the bottom hem. She stood about six inches shorter than me, and she actually looked pretty cute.

I didn't know what to say, so I decided to play it as cool as possible, which wasn't easy with all of the rowdy women in the background.

"Hi, I'm Silas, I liked your singing," I said.

"Juli you brought a cute one this time," she giggled before addressing me. "For your reference, my name is Sonata, I don't sing, that would make me Cantata. Brush up on your skills Silas."

"Sonata dear, why don't you go play with the other ladies?" Juliani recommended.

"They're all weird pervy lesbos," she scoffed. "You know I don't swing that way." She put her hand on my chest and pressed up against me. "I prefer the cute quiet types."

"We're here for business bimbo, back off!" Mythra said, putting herself in between us.

"My, my! What a tongue! I'd watch yourself if I were you slut," Sonata said in an aggressive manner. "The girls here love me with a passion, and unless you think you could all these women on your own, I suggest you shove your tough persona right back in your cute little shell like a good little tool."

I could tell Mythra was about to slam her into the ground, so I grabbed her wrist and immediately walked away. "Oh hey look, the door's this way! Let's go Mythra!"

She shot Sonata a fierce look before I pulled her away and continued following Juliani, who seemed somewhat entertained.

"Bye bye cutie! Call me!" she giggled.

I realized she had written some numbers on my arm, but I didn't even have a phone and wasn't really interested at the moment.

We were led into a lavishly-decorated room. The carpet was very expensive and it was fully furnished with the nicest of trinkets and furniture.

"Poppi would stay here?" Poppi questioned.

"Why yes! You'd be considered one of the highest members of the Argentum Gambling District, you'll be treated with the upmost respect and care, just as my ancestor Tora would have wanted," Juliani said.

Poppi nodded. "Poppi not want to be like other girls here..."

Juliani laughed. "Was Sonata like the other girls, dear? You can be whoever you'd like to be, I just want to make sure that you can be safe here, like your creator would want."

"And you're sure about that?" Acacia asked, raising a skeptical eyebrow.

"I have spent generations trying to track down what was lost from us! Tora passed it on that a flesh eater disguised as a Gormotti had obtained her, but he never mentioned where we could find her!"

"Could Granny be a blade?" I thought to myself. It made sense, but for now I thought it better to focus on the problem in front of us.

"Tora wanted so badly for you to be put into a family of dedicated engineers and mechanics... HIS family. Wouldn't you agree with that, Poppi?"

Poppi looked kind of sad, but she nodded. "Poppi would like to stay here."

"What?!" Acacia, Mythra, and I all uttered in shock.

"Poppi lived every day for Masterpon, this no doubt what Masterpon wanted for Poppi, Poppi will stay," she defended.

Mythra spoke up first. "Poppi, have you truly thought this through? It doesn't seem like Juliani has your best interests in mind!"

"Poppi's mind is a computer, Poppi has thought this through."

"You heard her, please come with me. It's time to go," a voice said behind me, I turned to see a small girl who resembled Poppi, but not exactly. I could only assume that this was Lila.

"Poppi will be safe here, go help Mythra!" Poppi reassured.

Praxis, Theory, and Lila all began shoving us out, so we went with it.

As we were leaving the building, Mythra gave me a look.

"We're in danger, aren't we?" I sighed.

Mythra threw me her sword as I gripped it, but before I could do anything, Praxis slammed the side of her megalance into my skull, sending me to the ground.

Mythra was immediately covered in a yellow lightning as she let out a blood-curling scream, and she went out like a like. I realized the one to hit her was none other than Sheba herself.

KOS-MOS pulled her arm cannon at Sonata, who moved with extreme agility, and grabbed Acacia, using her as a shield.

KOS-MOS looked for another plan of attack, but Theory pulled her Katana and encased her in a block of pure ice.

Acacia pulled her sword only to get stabbed in the side by Sonata's dagger as she played a lullaby in the microphone, putting her to sleep.

"Yeah you're not getting passed first base,"

I quipped drowsily, the song was really effective

"Pity," she said before slamming her foot down into my face, knocking me out.

Readability Level: 11-12th Grade

Time Taken: 6 Hours


	31. Chapter XXXI

Book IV:

Of Princesses and Peons

Chapter XXXI

I woke up drowsily and stood up, almost losing my balance. I felt like I'd gotten hit by a truck.

"Hello?" I called out before my head cleared and I looked around.

I was alone in a metal room, there was a bucket in the corner and I had been sleeping on the ground, probably the reason I was so stiff.

I then remembered what happened and hurriedly looked for an exit. The only one was a large metal door with a small barred window at the top center.

I quickly jumped up and looked outwards, only to see a small hallway lined with metal doors similar to mine. I assumed that this a prison ward.

"Mythra?" I called out. No answer. "Acacia? KOS-MOS? Anyone?"

Who had been with me? Rafi, Gabriel, Kassandra, and Azami had all stayed behind, Malos was nowhere to be found, and Poppi was with Juliani. KOS-MOS, Mythra, and I were knocked unconscious, Acacia... had been stabbed. Was she alright?!

"ACACIA?!" I yelled out.

"Pipe down dumbass, unless you want some unpleasant company!" she yelled back from across the room.

"Are you alright?" I asked, concerned.

"I'll be fine, they want us alive for some reason. They treated the stab wound, but we're stuck here."

I pulled my pistol and cocked it, aiming an earth bullet at the door.

"The probability of that working is zero percent," I heard KOS-MOS say from a different room.

"Hey genius, do you think they'd have let you keep your weapons if they were gonna work?!" Acacia yelled.

I shot anyway, and this resulted in a loud boom and the bullet almost ricocheting into my torso.

"Son of the Architect! Will you listen to me for once in your life you hard-headed fuck?!" Acacia scolded, startled by the shot.

"Right, sorry," I apologized. "But if we have our weapons, why can't KOS-MOS break us out?"

"There is an ether net in this hold, using blade weapons or abilities is one hundred percent impossible," KOS-MOS replied.

"Well we can't do nothing! Where's Mythra?!"

"Judging by the anguished screams I heard earlier I'd say Juliani's having her fun," Acacia answered.

"What?!" I yelled as I reloaded with an assortment of different bullets.

"Silas don't you fucking dare!"

I fired multiple shots into the door, to no avail and almost hitting to myself.

"Silas if you end up hitting yourself with one of those bullets I'm going to personally kick your dumb ass. Quit it already, if we could've gotten out of here we would've done it already, we can't do anything other than wait," Acacia scolded again.

We immediately went silent as we heard another door opened.

"My, my! What's all this ruckus about?"

"Juliani!" I yelled, recognizing the voice. "What's going on here?"

"Simple, a business transaction. Adonis wants you alive and I'm bringing you to him," she said.

"I thought you said you hated him!"

"I do, however he made an offer I couldn't pass up," she laughed.

"What could he possibly have offered the most powerful woman in Alrest?" Acacia asked.

"I'm flattered you think so highly of me!" she giggled. "You speak honestly so I shall do the same."

I went up to the window so I could see her.

"I believe you all saw the state of Alba Cavanich, I want to fix it. However if I fight the other gangs it will just be a mindless gang war that will solve nothing. But if It were an assault by Alrest's official police force under authorization of the Ardainian province's government, well then things could be tipped very nicely into my favor."

"Police force?" I questioned.

"Oh right, I wouldn't expect a Leftherian peon like yourself to know this," she laughed. "Long ago Waylon, the fourth driver of the Aegis laid down the framework for a basic united government for the many nations of Alrest. In doing so, one of the biggest benefits was the abolishment of any and all militaries in Alrest. This was to ensure that the Nation of Alrest would live peaceful, since no other civilizations exist outside of Alrest, there's never be a need for war. However he failed to lay the ground for a police force, and the mercantile guild now known as the BAP took that position."

"The BAP would never help you gain power!" I yelled back.

"You're correct, but they're not who I'm referring to," she smiled. "Eventually Adonis found a way to convince the governments of this nation that a mercantile guild should not be considered a valid police force as it functioned outside of an official representation. On top of that his entire family line had turned the widely popular New Tornan population against blades. This allowed him free reign to create whatever non-blade weapon he could imagine and enforce a 'fair and just' means of upholding the law. As long as it appeals to those New Tornan imbecile's unrealistic ideals, they'll eat it up like discount fast food."

"So your plan?" Acacia asked impatiently.

"To lay Alba Cavanich to waste, and purge it from the map. Once that's done, I'll rebuild it and then my power will be spread further."

"How many innocent people will die?!" I questioned.

"Oh please, spare me the theatrics. None of those filthy Ardanians are worth those tears."

"Listen here, you filthy wretched scum," Acacia said as she pounded her fist into the door. "If you so much as hurt any of the people there, I will, personally, knock that furry head of yours so hard the Architect himself will question your anatomy, you hear me?!"

"What are you doing to Mythra?!" I yelled.

"I can't let Adonis have all the fun!" she said, laughing. "I'm poking around her core crystal, and she is so much more interesting than I ever knew she'd be!"

Juliani began leaving, and I noticed Sheba walking behind her.

"And what the hell is wrong with you, huh?!"

She smiled at me, a sarcastic smile, and floated out in her bathtub.

"You damn bathtub lesbian, I'll knock your ass out too!" Acacia threatened.

The door shut and Juliani returned to Mythra, who was still restrained and drained of ether.

"Now to get back to it!" she giggled at Mythra.

"You... don't know what you're doing, keep going and you'll kill us all," Mythra said weakly.

"Oh please, if that idiot Adonis could tame an Aegis you'll be no different," she laughed.

"Pyra and I are different, but she's still twice the woman you'll ever be," Mythra laughed.

"Oh? Still some fire in there, is there?"

"No, I gave that to someone else, I'm a light blade," Mythra smirked.

Juliani smiled. "Well I'm still curious as to what this does..."

"Wait stop! You don't want to do that!" Mythra yelled as Juliani used a device to mess with her core crystal.

"That only makes me want to do it more!"

Mythra's core crystal and the emerald on her tiara began glowing bright green as the lights began flickering.

"STOP!" Mythra screamed.

"Oh the curiosity!" Juliani said, intrigued.

Immediately a huge blast erupted into the ship.

"Wh-What was that?!" Juliani gasped.

"You just fired Siren you dumbass! This ship's going down!" Mythra answered.

"Ma'am! Get to the parachute room fast, we need to be prepared for impact!" a man said over the intercom.

"Damn you!" she yelled as she left Mythra chained up and ran to the room.

...

"What was that?" I yelled at the sudden lurch.

"Heavy impact at the hull, the ether net is down," KOS-MOS said before punching the door off its hinges. "I suggest we find measures to leave immediately.

"I recognize this model of ship," Acacia said. "There should be a parachute room, if we can sneak in there and grab a few, we should be good to go."

"Find Mythra, grab her, and go," I said.

"Are you stupid, this place is going to shit!"

"I'm going for Sheba, I have to!"

"You're an idiot! What are you gonna do when you find her?!"

I shook my head, "I don't know, but something's telling me that I need to. I can't explain it, but whatever it is hasn't led me wrong thus far."

"Our time for argument is over, we must move Acacia," KOS-MOS stated.

Acacia sighed. "You'd better not die, got it?"

"Understood Colonel," I teased before running towards the back of the ship.

I didn't know how I knew where she was, but I did. I assumed this was what Sarah had been telling me about, but I wasn't sure.

Sure enough, I ended up running right into Sheba as she was trying to evacuate.

"You wanna explain yourself?" I asked quickly.

"We frankly don't understand why you're so shocked! We never respected you or your laughable group! Even without the core crystal alteration, we would have never stayed with the likes of you," she said, disgusted.

"So that's what it is," I should have known something was up. Juliani gave her to me, but not without strings attached.

"Alright then I'll be sure to send you back into your core crystal, that way you can make your own decisions from now on!" I told her.

"We'd never let you!" she said as she hit a button.

Immediately we were sucked out of the flying ship as a cargo hatch dropped open and we were left free falling to our death.

"Are you crazy?! We're both gonna die!"

"No, we will will shield ourself. It will hurt, but the only death will be yours," she laughed.

I grabbed some cargo flying through the air next to me and kicked off of it in her direction, wrapping my arms around her and holding her tight.

"You either shield both of us or we die together!" I yelled.

"Damn you peon!" she yelled as she shielded right before we hit the ground.

After lying in the hot sand for a bit I got myself up to see her jumping up angrily.

"How dare you! We ought to kill you right now you insolent fool!" she yelled as the girl made of water picked up Sheba's bathtub and reinserted herself into it, once again allowing the bathtub to float.

"Well it looks like you're stuck with me now!" I told her.

"Oh? And why is that?"

"Well not to be your tourist guide, but if you look to any fucking direction around your dumbass, we're stuck, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FUCKING DESERT!"

She took a look around as she noticed endless sand dunes for miles on end no matter where we could look as she groaned.

This was not going to be fun...

Readability Level: 11-12th Grade

Time Taken: 5.5 Hours


	32. Chapter XXXII

Book IV:

Of Princesses and Peons

Chapter XXXII

"What do you mean they're gone?!" Gabriel said in shock.

"I mean they are on a ship that's already halfway across Alrest, they're flying over a large desert, but not the same one as the Ardainian desert," Azami answered.

"How does Azami know this?" Rafi questioned.

"Every rare blade has a special ability and special skill. I have the ability to see anywhere I want to look. I simple gazed upon my lovely driver and I knew exactly where he was," she giggled as she pointed to the mechanical socket she had on her face in place of her left eye.

"What about Poppi?!" Rafi asked.

"Poppi agreed to stay with Juliani, she is safe here in Mor Ardain," Azami answered.

"She... agreed?"

"Rafi won't stand it! Poppi can't be with Juliani!" Rafi yelled. "Friends must save her!"

"Look Raf, If Poppi's safe for now then we need to go after Silas and Acacia, we can worry about her later," Gabriel said.

"Poppi will be fine, she's a tough girlie!" Kassandra said empathetically.

Rafi seemed annoyed, but he silently agreed.

"Well, shall we?" Malos asked, appearing out of nowhere.

"And where the hell have you been?" Gabriel interrogated.

"Exploring, but it seems I'm out of time, let's move," he replied, getting on the ship.

"C'mon Gabe, let's go," Kassandra said, tugging at his wrist.

"Right, right, c'mon Kassy," Gabriel said before getting on board. "They should be somewhere in the Scorpox Desert to the East if Azami is correct. Hold on Silas, we're coming."

...

We had been wandering the desert for what seemed like days, but it had honestly only been for a few hours. The scorching sun and the burning sand did not make traversing this place easy. I also had no water, and finding some was becoming much more of a necessity. It also didn't help that we were occasionally being attacked by scorpoxes, giant, Great Dane-sized scorpions with claws that could easily pop your limbs off and armed with a deadly neurotoxin. Sheba constantly refused to fight or aid me in fighting so it was left to me to defend her and myself. Why I thought I should help her, I didn't know, but I kept doing it. And with her being a water blade, she was doing much better than I was in this environment. She was much more worried about the sun's affect on her skin than me trying not to die.

An average-sized scorpox jumped out from the sand and went to sting Sheba. I jumped between them and used my ether shield to block it as I thrusted my sword into its skull, killing it.

"You let him get to close to us, peon. Do better next time," she said.

It was at this point that I completely snapped.

"Alright I have had enough!" I yelled. "You want to get back to wherever the hell you want to go, that's fine by me. But how about you either help me out or shut the hell up? You've betrayed people who are willing to stand with you and help you out, so how about a little less whining out of that traitorous mouth of yours?!"

She seemed taken aback, as if she didn't know what I was talking about. "Well it's not my fault you never once tried to help us fit in with you. This is obviously your fault."

"My fault?!" I yelled. "How am I supposed to help you fit in?! I can't even help myself fit in! I'm traveling with people I don't understand, trying to be someone I don't understand, and acting in ways I can't comprehend. All you've been doing since we got here is flirt with Kassandra and other random girls and complain that we don't have enough 'cute girls'. You didn't even bother training when I was trying to increase my skill under Mòrag and to top it all off I've been protecting you this entire time, even AFTER you betrayed us and all you can do is act like a gigantic bitch!"

She let out a gasp as she looked down. She then turned abruptly away and began floating away in her bathtub.

"And now where the hell are you going?"

"Well clearly we'll survive better on our own so I will go ahead and take care of myself!" she said as she tried unsuccessfully to hide her tearing up.

I stood there for a moment and sighed.

"Great," I said to myself. "Now somehow I'm the asshole..."

She definitely moved faster than I thought she would, I'd already lost her.

I sighed again. "I guess I'll go find her..."

...

"Is everyone ok?" Acacia asked KOS-MOS and Mythra.

"Yeah, I cant believe she was just gonna leave us to die," Mythra stared.

"It appears we were en route to the far north of Alrest. However scans indicate that we crashed in the Scorpox Desert, named for its high scorpox population," KOS-MOS informed.

"I see, well we need to regroup with Silas," Acacia reminded them.

"The possibility of his survival is very low," KOS-MOS said.

"He's alive," Mythra chimed in. "I'd know if he was dead."

"Which way do you think he went KOS-MOS? He could be injured," Acacia asked, worried.

KOS-MOS stopped as she ran calculations in her head. "During our descent the cargo bay was opened. Judging from the time he separated from us to the time it opened, there is a ninety-nine percent chance that Silas was back there at the time. From that point in time to the time we jumped, we had moved approximately fifteen miles, as the speed of this craft is extremely high. Given windspeed, falling patter, and the height we jumped from, he should be approximately ten miles west of this point."

Acacia stared at her in disbelief. "How can you run all those numbers so quickly?"

"My blade skill is called Mental Arithmetic. I have the fastest calculation of any blade," KOS-MOS stated.

"Let's go, we need to move fast," Mythra recommended.

"Right, let's—" Acacia started before getting cut off by a voice.

"You three aren't going anywhere," Sonata, the musical blade, said as she appeared out of nowhere. "I saw you try to make your escape, so I'll deal with you now."

"Mythra, get going," KOS-MOS and I will handle her.

"Got it," Mythra said as she ran off. Splitting up wasn't a good idea, but at this point they were out of options.

"You sure you can keep to the beat hun? You don't seem to be the dancing type and your blade is more robotic than a computer," she laughed, as she spun a microphone in her hand, the other end of this microphone was an ether dagger.

KOS-MOS threw Acacia her ether cannon and transformed her own arm into her R Cannon. She fired three blasts at Sonata.

She spat out sounds into her microphone that sounded like drum beats, and with each one she dodged the blasts with ease.

"Unless you think you can stick to the staff, you'll find yourself in a lot of treble!" she giggled.

"Acacia, It appears the enemy functions on specific rhythm. It is advised that we strike inside of this rhythm in order to effectively attack her," KOS-MOS analyzed.

Acacia sighed, "I can't dance, are you sure there isn't another way?"

KOS-MOS did a front flip forward and landed on one hand, holding her body into the air, she then brought herself up on her index finger, holding herself in perfect balance.

"I am equipped with extremely advanced perambulation, all of my movements are carefully and precisely tuned to accomplish even the most complex of tasks. I believe this will be of no issue."

Acacia was kind of taken aback, she didn't realize KOS-MOS was so intricate.

"You think you can hold your own on the dance floor? This oughta be good!" Sonata stretched out before throwing her hand in the air and giving a wink. "Alright then little girl, show me what you got!"

Readability Level: 11-12th Grade

Time Taken: 4 Hours


	33. Chapter XXXIII

Book IV:

Of Princesses and Peons

Chapter XXXIII

"Come on guys! I just know we're going to kill this job!" Floren, the adorable earth blade and leader of the Merry Band of Misfits, said excitedly running around like a child.

Nim, his trusty animal-loving fellow blade squad member, looked at the request very thoroughly. "Floren, are you sure? This quest is quite a high difficulty, and definitely outside of our set skill level. I mean, this is a rank eight mission!" she squealed out, not wanting to get into trouble with Dromarch.

"We NEVER get to do ANY cool quests!" Electra, the tiny blond girl with the always-frizzled hair, whined as her eyes welled up with overdramatic tears.

"Please don't throw a tantrum Elly! You always destroy stuff when you do!" Floren said in an attempt to calm her down. "This will be super exciting! All we have to do is harvest some auxiliary cores from some dumb old monsters hanging out below!"

"That does sound exciting...," Nim said imaginatively, fantasizing about being able to fight for a change.

"And we just have to knock some sense into some ugly beasts called bobbile brogs! This oughta be done in a spickity spark!" Electra shouted excitedly as she jumped around in a circle, eventually making herself dizzy and falling on her behind. "Oop!"

Nim looked at the little furry creatures that resembled foxes sitting on her shoulders. "What about you guys? What do you think?"

Both the creatures, called phonexes, chirped happily. No one but Nim could understand what they were saying, and people often thought she was crazy, even mocking her for it, and she often didn't translate for them. She had quite the habit at nodding at a few weird sounds and then jumping right into action without a second thought, not stopping to explain anything or asking fellow teammates what they thought.

"Cool! Then let's go right away!" Nim squealed excitedly.

"We're going on a cool job, we're going on a cool job!" Electra sang happily, skipping behind Floren and Nim as they walked out of the Garfont Mercantile Guild and out into the Urayan Caverns.

Before they got completely away from the Guild, they were stopped in their tracks by a stern voice.

"And where do you three think you're heading off to?" he said as they spun around to see Aegaeon with his arms crossed.

They all stood dumbfounded, as if not knowing what to say at all.

"Well? I'm waiting," he continued impatiently.

"We...'re going on a simple fetch quest!" Floren said quickly. It wasn't a total lie, they WERE going on a fetch quest. However if Aegaeon knew exactly what kind of quest they were going on, he'd never allow it.

"And you're positive?" Aegaeon asked, staring them down carefully.

They all three nodded simultaneously.

"Very well, happy hunting," he nodded as he walked away.

The three quickly scurried off before they could be asked any more questions.

"Why didn't he ask for our job request paper?" Floren questioned Nim.

"Well... ever since Mòrag's unfortunate... passing," she said tactfully. "He had to be re-resonated with by another driver. So he's still learning how things work around here, he probably just didn't remember to ask."

"ZippityZap! More power to us! Let's go nab all the aux cores from those yucky brogs!" Electra shouted as she stormed down the hill and into the thick of the cave, her squad mates right behind her.

Soon enough they had found they're way down the murky, foggy caverns to the very bottom, where a very thick layer of muddy water lined the entire bottom of the cave.

Nim and Floren were tall enough that the water didn't even come to their knees, but poor Electra ran through it, dragging her grey dress through the water without a care in the world.

"Oh wow! This is so gross!" Nim squealed as she waded through the marshy cave.

"I know! I'll need at least three baths to get my cuteness back!" Floren whined.

"Come on guys! Let's go! Some dumb old water ain't gonna stop the Merry Band of Misfits!" Electra cheered as she stumbled forward, falling into the water.

The other two gasped as she got up and spat the water out of her mouth.

"Yuuuck!" she said as tears welled up in her eyes.

Floren and Nim were immediately aware of how close she was to throwing a tantrum and acted quickly.

"Oh don't worry!" Nim said spunkily.

Floren chimed her on and rubber her head. "Yeah! It's like you said, some dumb water isn't going to stop us!"

She shook her head before nodding. "Mhm! Let's beat it!"

Pretty soon they ran into what they were looking for. Brogs were ugly creatures, giant amphibians with purple-blue skin and scaly horns. They had ears that stretched out into what looked like Nopon arm/earflaps, but unlike nopons their ears couldn't function as human hands and thy relied on jumping high and spewing poison that could be absorbed through contact and breathing. They weren't the most fearsome enemies, and often severely injured their assailants before fleeing, rarely killing, but any person unprepared could wind up in a serious pickle.

Floren was a very capable healer, with his bitball, an ether weapon that could function as any basketball or volleyball, he caused heavy impact damage and when he spun it on his fingers, it released an aura of relief that would rid his partners of poison and ether damage.

Nim was also a healer, but her weapon consisted of a pair of knuckle claws, meant for tearing up and beating foes senseless. Most blades with knuckle claws, despite being healers, did little to actually heal compared to the damage they could dish out. However their weapons could rip out ether particles inside of their enemies, leaving behind healing potions for others to take and heal themselves with.

Electra, despite her size, served as a tank. She wielded a giant hammer, capable of slamming foes into the ground and keeping enemy attention away from the more delicate healers. And, as a tank, she could take one hell of a beating before she went down.

Together, they managed to take care of the task at hand, collecting the necessary amount of aux cores.

"ZippityZapZap! That was easy! Why are we stuck at level ten again?!" Electra jumped up and down excitedly.

"When Aegaeon and Dromarch get a load of this haul, we'll get promoted for sure!" Floren said ecstatically as they all began imagining getting promoted.

They had grown sick and tired of being the lowliest blade squad, and they weren't scared to do whatever it took to finally move up. They were the only squad composed of entirely rare blades that were stuck at rank ten.

"What do these aux cores do anyway?" Electra asked, looking at the curious stones.

"Why that's simple!" Nim chirped. "Aux cores can be installed into blade core crystals to enhance their fighting ability."

"Mhm! And these aux cores are called Swift Evasion I, a relatively small boost to blades. It allows them and they're drivers to become better at dodging while they're moving. This haul will allow a few lower rank blade squads do better in their missions."

"Wait...," Electra said, before suddenly jumping around, freaking out a bit. "THESE ARE LIKE THAT AWFUL CORE CRYSTAL EDITING THINGIES THAT THE BCC DOES TO BLADES!!"

"No, no! Nothing like that!" Floren said, trying to calm her down.

Nim giggled. "Don't be silly, auxiliary cores have existed since the beginning of Alrest. They were created by the Architect to help humans and blades to survive the world he gave to us. They can be removed and added at any time to a blade without any adverse effects."

Electra sighed. "Oh goodie good..., well then I'm glad we could help the BAP! Let's get back before we get in trouble for being out past dark!"

Neither Nim nor Floren had realized how dark it was getting. The weird thing about Uraya's caverns is that natural sunlight flowed freely through the top of the caverns, allowing vegetation and even cherry trees to blossom all over.

After walking around for way longer than it took them to get to their destination in the first place, they realized they were hopelessly lost.

"What do you mean you lost the map?! How do we get home?!" Nim asked, freaked out.

"I'm sorry! I must have dropped it when I fell in the water!" Electra cried.

"No use getting worried about it now! We have to keep going! No way a BAP Official Blade Squad's gonna lose like this!" Floren said, trying to cheer them up.

"R-Right, let's keep going!" Electra cheered behind him. Nim nodded.

Soon, they ended up in some bright area with pink walls.

"Where are we?" Nim asked.

"How should I know?" Floren responded. "This place is totally creepy."

They heard a scream and they both turned to see Electra had fallen onto something, and was covered in some form of goo.

"EW! EW! EW! EW! EW! EW!" she squealed as she got away from the spherical object.

"What'd you find?" Floren asked.

"I don't know! It's some gross egg thingie!!"

"Egg?" Nim asked. "Wait? Does that mean there's—"

They heard a loud roar as they turned to see what looked like a cross between a cockroach, a bird, and a dragon. A foul, dangerous beast called a parisax.

It was known for poison, although much more potent than the brog's. It was also very irritable and killed and ate whatever u lucky soul happened to wander too close. Even worse still, this was no ordinary parisax, this was a huge, unique monster that had a name. The Vampire Bride, Margie. Any time a unique specimen of a genus of monsters was found, it was given a title and a name. A unique parisax was given the title Vampire Bride, this one's name was Margie. These unique monsters were insanely powerful, and it often took a blade squad of rank four or higher to deal with this caliber.

https/youtu.be/ifvuPEOWc6I

"Woah she's a nasty one!" Floren shouted.

Margie lashed out, slamming Electra away from its egg and throwing her into Floren and Nim, knocking them all down.

"How are we supposed to beat THAT?!" Nim yelled, the two phonexes on her shoulders squealed in fear. "Oh calm down Kit and Sunny, things are going to be alright."

"It's charging an art!" Floren yelled as the beast began glowing before it landed three hits, one on each of them, doing major damage to them all.

"I... I knew this was a bad idea, now we're gonna die because we thought we were strong! We're weak! We're the worst squad ever! We can't do anything right!" Electra started balling, throwing tears everywhere.

They immediately started feeling better, Nim and Electra turned to see Floren using his bitball to heal them.

"You be quiet Electra! I'm the leader of this Merry Band of Misfits. We're an official BAP Blade Squad!" he clutched the bitball in his hands as he began to gather himself. "We won't lose! No matter what! Because right now, we're all we got! Now let's show this charmless creature what we can do as a squad! Because we're the greatest squad ever and I'll die right here and now knowing that. You guys with me?!"

Nim and Electra stood up, looking at his extremely feminine face.

"I'll provide back up healing. Electra, you go nuts with your hammer and leave him shocked,"

he winked before moving to Nim. "And you back her up, you two'll need all the healing potions you can rip out of Margie, let's do this!"

They let out a loud cheer as Nim and Electra charged at full force. Electra slammed her giant hammer into it, knocking it senseless as Nim tore apart as much as she could.

However, it wasn't enough. As soon as the beast got up. It slammed all three of them to the ground with a hard-hitting art they couldn't even see coming.

"I... I'm sorry Florry... I tried! Really, I did!" Electra whimpered.

Floren wrapped them in a group hug, "It's ok guys, if we go out, we go out together. And there's no one I'd rather go out with than my closest buddies!"

The beast closed in as it prepared for the final blow.

The three blades braces themselves for their end, but the blow never came.

They heard a vivacious roar as the beast was blasted into the side of the wall.

They looked to see a large white tiger with an eyepatch, holding twin rings, the signature weapon of a bestial blade, in his mouth. It was the leader of the BAP, Dromarch.

They watched as the giant beast, Margie, split in two before the blade of BAP's second-in-command, Aegaeon.

"S-So strong!" Nim exclaimed as the beast faded into ether dust, leaving behind another aux core, one much more powerful than the few they'd collected.

Aegaeon collected it and approached the blade squad.

Dromarch looked angry. "What in the hell were you three thinking?!"

Electra immediately burst into tears, "WE'RE SORRY!!!"

Floren went right in behind her, but much more timid. "We wanted to prove ourselves by collecting the aux core job that nobody had taken in the past few months, but we got lost and ended up in here!"

Aegaeon looked stern. "You told me you were out on a simple fetch quest, did you intentionally deceive me?"

"Yes," Nim sighed. "It wasn't a complete lie, we really were on a simple fetch quest, but it was ranked for rank eight squads, not ten."

"I see," Aegaeon said, disappointed.

Dromarch calmed down. "I know how hard it is to be outsiders, especially in your own home. However lying is never acceptable and you three will be punished for your direct disobedience to out strictly set rules. It's hard enough keeping the BCC out of our hair simply following rules, much less having a bunch of unqualified blades running around and possibly causing unnecessary problems! What if that parisax went on a rampage?! Uraya's capital isn't far from here!"

"Well... we weren't quite unqualified...," Floren said, holding out their aux cores. "W-We completed the job successfully. We just got lost after we lost the map."

"Who was in charge of the map?" Aegaeon asked. "If you've truly completed the mission, then we'll only punish the one responsible for the failure."

Electra began crying again as she went to raise her hand.

Nim reached out her hand and put Electra's down.

Floren spoke up immediately. "We all take responsibility. We're a squad, we succeeded together, we failed together, we accept punishment together."

"No! I'm the one who lost the map!" Electra whispered. "You shouldn't have to—"

"No," Nim argued. "'We're only as strong as our greatest weakness.' Mòrag taught us that, so your weakness is ours, right?"

Electra sniffled before nodding.

Aegaeon sighed before Dromarch spoke up. "You three had only the lost honest intentions, and so you have clean up duty for the mess hall for the next month."

"A whole month?!" Electra whined as Dromarch raised an eyebrow.

Clean up duty meant cleaning up the whole food area at Garfont, including the bathrooms, which were not fun, especially on taco Tuesday...

Floren covered Electra's mouth before she could keep talking. "Yes sir! We'll make the mess hall the shiniest it's ever been!"

"Good," Dromarch nodded before walking off. "Oh," he stopped. "And if you ever lie to us again, I will create a punishment so severe that you'll live every day regretting the day you resonated, am I clear?!" he said in a terrifying voice.

The three jumped back in fear, speaking in unison. "Yes sir! Sorry sir! Won't happen again sir!"

"Good."

"Come, time to go," Aegaeon said, leading them back to town.


	34. Chapter XXXIV

Book IV:

Of Princesses and Peons

Chapter XXXIV

I had been trudging through the sand for hours, the sun was beginning to set and in a moment this blazing landscape would become frigid and just as equally unbearable. What's more, I still hadn't found Sheba. The thing about a girl who floats around in a levitating bathtub is that she doesn't exactly make any noise or leave any tracks to follow. I only knew what direction she headed off in, which was towards the crashed vessel, unfortunately it was till miles away, meaning that that vessel was moving much faster than our own could. I then wondered how King Zeke was doing, he had given us that vessel and sent us off, last time we spoke, he wasn't doing the best physically.

"Sheba! Where the hell did you go?!" I called out.

She was a water blade, so I doubt the sun was giving her that much issue, but nightfall would definitely not be good for her. I still wasn't sure why I was so worried about her, she'd betrayed us, tried to sell us off to Adonis! And yet, here I was, trying to find her in the middle of a desert. Why did I do any of the things I did? Why'd I agree to go with Mythra? Why'd I fight through an entire building of soldiers to save her? Why'd I drag Acacia, Rafi, and Gabriel with me? Even if I wasn't in the middle of a desert I didn't recognize, I'd still feel lost.

My thoughts were interrupted by a loud crash and an aggravated scream. It sounded like...

"SHEBA!" I called out as I ran towards it. I was tired, dehydrated, horribly sunburned and felt like I was about to pass out, but yet I ran full speed.

"Peon?!" she said in surprise.

I made it up to her and the weird water spirit who resided in her bathtub holding her either cannon up and blocking the stinger of a gigantic scorpox. The normal scorpoxes were Great Dane-sized, but this one... this one was the size of a small house!

I pulled my gun and loaded my last earth-type bullet into it and shot it in the head, pissing it off more than doing any real damage. I also had just realized I was out of ether bullets and only had normal ones left. Just... great.

"Sheba! I'll need your help! Let's take this thing down!" I yelled, but as the scorpox charged at me, I saw her floating away in her bathtub, not even taking a second look back.

I pulled my sword quickly and dodged it as it slammed its stinger downwards.

"I really hope Acacia and Mythra are having better luck."

...

Sonata laughed as she began making sounds into her microphone, increasing her speed and strength. The microphone began playing a loop of the song she had sung through speakers coming somewhere out of her body.

"Stay back Acacia, I will handle this on my own. I am better equipped to handle this task and there is a greater probability we will leave alive," KOS-MOS explained.

"What?!" Acacia yelled. "KOS-MOS no! I won't let you—"

KOS-MOS interrupted her, "You only see me as a weapon, so that is the role I will play. Please stand back."

Sonata giggled. "Oh wow you've got sass to spare, huh?" She causally flipped over her microphone in her hind, revealing the dagger on the other side, it immediately shot up in flames as the air was filled with a very loud metal mix. "Enough talk my robotic assailant, let's dance!"

https/youtu.be/xqghKVU23Wc

Sonata stood in a stance before jumping up. "Spitting Fire!"

Immediately, the ground KOS-MOS was standing on lit in a blazing fire.

Sonata giggled and landed before sprinting right through and slashing, but KOS-MOS wasn't even there, as she'd already dodged the first art and shot her R-Cannon directly at Sonata. She dropped and dodged it, spun her legs around her arms and jumped up, doing a flip and sticking the landing.

KOS-MOS' arm transformed from a cannon to a sword and she went right in.

The two clashed in perfect harmony, only hitting and moving to the beat.

"Wow! You're much more amazing than I gave you credit for!" Sonata said before sliding underneath KOS-MOS and slashing straight through her inner thigh. "If I wasn't trying to kill you I'd definitely want to do a duet!"

KOS-MOS pulled out her ether cannon and let out a blast, hitting Sonata directly and slamming her into the ground.

"Rude!" Sonata whined as KOS-MOS tried to slam her R-Blade directly into Sonata's skull.

Sonata slid down, spun, and surrounded herself in a wall of fire.

"Burning Ring of Fire!" she yelled as the fire shot out in all directions, throwing KOS-MOS to the ground.

Sonata dashed towards KOS-MOS before KOS-MOS spun her foot around, violently tripping Sonata. Before Sonata could hit the ground, KOS-MOS spun upwards and shot Sonata point-blank in the torso with her ether cannon, throwing her violently across the sand.

She got up violently coughing. "Time to finish this."

KOS-MOS nodded, "Affirmative."

Sonata's microphone began glowing a violent bright red as she held it up in the air, and then, with both hands, she pointed it towards KOS-MOS.

KOS-MOS, acknowledging this, tossed her ether cannon to the ground before driving both of her feet about a foot into the sand. The headgear that rested on her blue hair came down over her eyes as four long mechanical parts emerged behind her, growing a bright blue.

"Sour Note!" Sonata shouted as her microphone fired a flame so hot that it could instantly blacken your skin just by standing a few feet away from it directly at KOS-MOS.

"KOS-MOS!" Acacia shouted in concern.

"X-Buster," KOS-MOS said simply, as her target was locked, and she fired an astounding blue laser that cut right through Sonata's flames.

Sonata let out a scream as she was violently thrown to the ground, seemingly knocked unconscious from the ether damage.

Acacia was standing near Sonata, and KOS-MOS approached her, standing in between Sonata and Acacia.

"I have completed my mission," she said, not even phased by the fight.

"Good job, let's... go find Silas and Mythra," Acacia replied, unsure of how to really respond.

Before they could move, Sonata jumped up and tried to stab KOS-MOS one last time with her dagger, but Acacia pulled her pistol and shot Sonata square in head, blowing her to the ground.

"I... only wanted... to put on a show...," she said before turning into ether dust, leaving behind her core crystal.

Acacia picked up the core crystal and put it in her pocket. "What was that about?" she asked.

"Each blade has a specific ability and personality, with each resonation their personality changes slightly to better support their driver. The Aegises are the only known exceptions to this rule. Every blade wishes to fight and carry out their driver's wishes, and in this case, it was to fight us. However, it does not mean that the blade honestly wanted to fight," KOS-MOS explained.

"That's... really sad, actually...," Acacia acknowledged.

"Indeed, however this is the life of a blade. However, it is not unheard of for a blade to decide that their driver is incapable of being a driver and turning on their driver," KOS-MOS continued.

Acacia seemed shocked. "Why are you telling me this?!"

KOS-MOS sighed. "Because many of the blades we encounter have undergone core crystal editing, which restricts a blade's ability to make its own decision. I used to simply think that all there was to my existence was obedience, however one of my drivers must have changed that, because I do not feel that way at all. However I cannot remember these things, as blades do not carry their memory between resonation, which means that one driver made an impression on my very core crystal."

"Like? Someone edited you?" Acacia questioned. "You were edited before, but Mythra turned you back into a core crystal, so that shouldn't effect you anymore!"

KOS-MOS shook her head. "I am not referring to that, I am referring to when a change in personality is naturally made by the influence of a driver."

"That can happen?" Acacia asked in disbelief.

"Indeed," KOS-MOS confirmed. "There is a very high probability that your blade Malos has an impression as well. He leaves for long periods of time for no reason, and knowing ancient history, his true name is Logos, a name which refers to logic. It is possible he is beginning to decide he no longer needs you."

Acacia didn't understand it at all, there was too much new information being presented. "When we get back, let's sit down and talk about this again. I have too much on my mind right now and I'm not processing this well."

"Affirmative," KOS-MOS said before her and Acacia left towards where they thought Silas would be.

...

"You know you can't control it," Malos said. "I hear you've been promoted... by the Praetor."

"You... why?" the man said, spinning away from the emerald green core crystal he almost tried to resonate with.

"Hmph. Just thought I'd come and say goodbye," Malos answered. "Would you rather I leave without saying anything?"

"'Goodbye?!'" the man responded in disbelief. "What would compel you to leave me? You are my—"

Malos cut him off. "I've got full control of all my powers now. It doesn't matter if you die. I can keep on going."

"What are you saying Malos?!"

...

Malos woke up. He had been napping on the vessel as it reached the Scorpox Desert. Who was that man in his dreams? No, Malos knew who he was, just because there was no name to the face didn't mean he was so naive. Malos hadn't had much of a chance to really control all of his power yet, but he would. So long as he stayed near Mythra, he knew that at some point, he could tear her down and truly become the Aegis he was meant to be.

"Malos! Kassy!" Gabriel called from the other room. "Have either of you seen Rafi? I can't find him anywhere?!"

"I dunno!" Kassandra responded

"No idea," Malos said simply.

He'd learn to control himself, and then he'd finally rip this world asunder.

Readability Level: 11-12th Grade

Time Taken: 4 Hours


	35. Chapter XXXV

Book IV:

Of Princesses and Peons

Chapter XXXV

I woke up looking at the night sky. I... was warm. I took a deep breath of clear, crash air as I looked at the stars sparkling down on Alrest. It was... calming. Everything was hazy for me, where was I?

I sat up quickly and looked to see a fire to my right. I grabbed my head as the blood rushed from it and I was given a splitting headache.

"Don't be so hasty peon! Youre injuries are bad enough as it is!" a voice said.

I looked past the fire to see Sheba, sitting down on the ground with her back on the bathtub, the girl made of water sat next to her, and looked much smaller than normal. It then occurred to me that my lips and throat weren't parched.

"Did you...?" I started before she cut me off.

"We shared water with you, yes. You don't appear to have any damage apart from sever ether damage, so we did our best with what we had. You should be grateful," she said abruptly.

I was taken aback a bit. "I... thank you, Sheba."

She nodded and we sat quietly for awhile, looking at Elysium's beauty.

"The desert sure is pretty when it's not trying to kill you," I commented.

She nodded. "To be honest, with you traveling around with that Aegis and all, We're surprised that isn't your opinion on every woman you've met so far."

I laughed a bit. "Well so far it's just Juliani and Lieutenant Uzuki that's trying to kill us."

Sheba changed the subject. "Why'd you save me, peon? You didn't seem like you were that in love with me."

"I could ask you the same thing," I chuckled before sighing. "I'd rather see you safe and sound than find you dead, knowing I could've helped. I'd do it for anyone honestly."

"Even Adonis or a random stranger, even if it meant you'd be seriously hurt or worse if you intervened?" Sheba asked in shock.

"I mean, I'd have to punch Adonis a few times for his lies, but yeah. There's no point in killing people when you can give them a chance to learn from their mistakes. That's why I don't like Juliani, she treats people she believes are lower than her as puppets! It's not ok! I don't see how anyone could think like that about anyone..."

"Well, it's still much better than following around a random girl who only takes advantage of you," she responded.

"What do you mean?"

Sheba seemed annoyed. "Are you not aware that that girl is just using you?!"

"Who? Mythra?"

"Yes Mythra! She gave you a giggle and a wink and now you're following her to the ends of the earth!" Sheba pointed out.

"I'm helping her find her memory! And Granny wanted me to help her too!"

"The memory that she almost completely has now? Why are you still with her? She knows who she is! Why are you stuck helping her?!"

"She hasn't lied to me yet! She's honest! Why would I want to abandon her in a world she's not familiar with?!" I was annoyed, irritated even. Not because I felt she was insulting Mythra but more so because I was afraid she was right.

"That's what makes a girl like her so dangerous!" Sheba argued. "She doesn't have to lie. She may have the purest intentions in the world, but that doesn't mean that you will be held responsible for anything she does or can't do. Are you seriously so dense that you'll continue going along with this foolish endeavor?"

I stood silently, unsure of how to respond. She wasn't wrong, not at all. How did Addam, Rex, or Waylon ever do it? I didn't understand it. I was frustrated. I didn't have the will to fight anymore, those last scorpoxes I fought landed some heavy ether damage and I wasn't feeling good. Before I even understood what I was feeling, I began crying.

"Peon?" Sheba asked.

"Sheba I don't know," I said as my face reddened.

"What?"

"I don't know!" I yelled, much to her surprise, but I didn't care, all of the frustrations and insecurities I had buried deep inside myself came pouring out. "I've been trying so hard to understand what I'm doing, but I just don't! As I continue, when I get into a situation I don't understand, there's a voice, a voice I can't hear, but it gets louder as the days pass! It's subconscious, and when I don't know what to do myself, I find my body just moving, doing things on its own."

Sheba looked confused, not really understanding what I was saying.

"Look, I know I'm not perfect. And I know I'm not fit to be a driver, yours or anyone else's. I'm not worthy and I'm not ready. But that's why I need you!"

I seemed to have piqued her interest, but to be honest I wasn't paying attention to her at the time.

"I'm too scared to talk to anyone to tell them that I don't know what I'm doing... I don't think they'd understand. I didn't mean to drag them with me and none of us even talk to each other! However when I know you, Azami, and Mythra are with me to help me, it makes me feel better I guess..."

"Are you quite finished?" Sheba asked simply.

"Y-Yeah, sorry," I didn't mean to unload that on her.

"Look, we're going to be honest with you, everyone knows you don't know what you're doing," Sheba reasoned. "None of them know what they're doing or want either. Acacia's still trying to find her purpose and Gabriel seems to be waiting for something. You're not the only one who's confused. Soon enough your path will be clear, but are you really certain that this is what you want to do? Even with the probability Mythra's just using you?"

I thought for a second, but my thoughts were interrupted.

"Ah, Sheba! So glad I finally found you!" a voice in the distance said.

We turned to see four strong men carrying Juliani and her blades on a couch, Praxis and Theory.

"Thank you boys, we'll handle it from here," Juliani instructed as she jumped down from the small couch , her blades right behind her.

I stood up wearily, almost falling and drawing my sword. "If you think you're going to take me or any of my friends to Adonis, you'd better back off right now."

"Oh please peon, you're definitely too weak to take me as you are, just give up and come quietly," Juliani said. "Sheba, please subdue him."

"You want us to do it?!" Sheba gasped.

"Did I stutter? I'm commanding you to knock him out of commission!"

"Sheba, if you want my answer," I jumped in as my adrenaline started pumping. "It's yes. I don't know what's going to come my way, but I want to see it through, there're things I don't understand about myself and I believe if I turn back now then I'll never know. You can go with her if you'd like, but I thought I'd let you know my stance."

Sheba took her ether cannon in her hand and shoved the barrel into my back, pushing me towards Juliani.

"Good girl," Juliani giggled.

I grudgingly walked forward and looked down at Juliani.

"Beat by your own blade? Pathetic, I expected more out of you peon," Juliani scoffed. "However it doesn't help that I own her. I edited her core crystal, she's mine."

"Yours?" Sheba asked.

"Yes, you are MINE," Juliani giggled.

Sheba seemed suddenly pissed as she picked me up and tossed me to the side before tossing her ether cannon on top of me, hitting me with a hard thud.

"Listen here, you are in the presence of divinity," Sheba scolded. "We are to be held with a high respect and treated exquisitely."

"Oh please, blades have no right to hold themselves highly, they're just tools! You should be grateful I treat you as one of my friends!" Juliani mused.

Sheba gasped before sighing and smiling in a manner that made me feel uncomfortable. "Ah so I suppose you'd like me to be an addition to your beauty, a tool to add to your image and a toy you can play with at your will?"

"That is what I EXPECT of you," Juliani corrected.

https/youtu.be/Np16Rvr7LrM

Sheba took a running start, aiming herself just right. "Divine Punishment!" she shouted before soccer-kicking Juliani so hard that she literally flew beyond what we could see.

"Juliani!" Praxis and the men gasped collectively before running after her.

"You'll pay!" Theory, the ice blade, yelled before drawing her sword and slashing at Sheba, but she didn't make it as I grabbed her ether cannon and shot Theory.

"She's with me, lay off!" I yelled.

"Nice work peon," Sheba giggled before stretching her hand out to me, who was still sitting. "I've sat down long enough, allow me to help out."

I grabbed her hand and she helped me up.

"After you," she laughed.

"Right!"

Theory ran at me full speed. I tossed the cannon back to Sheba before pulling my own sword and clashing with Theory.

We danced our blades as I felt I was in complete control. These were my actions, not someone else fighting through me, and it felt good. I slashed violently as Theory clashed against it, back flipped and went in for a stab, only to get blasted by Sheba.

Theory angrily charged at Sheba, however the water spirit in her bathtub charged in, knocking Theory on her ass.

"Ice Slash!" Theory yelled before throwing knives made of ice at me.

I turned on my ether shield and blocked them. Theory then clashed against it with her sword. I pushed my shield back, throwing Theory off-balance and I slashed, hitting her in the abdomen.

"You can't win! Get lost!" I warned.

"I'm not done yet," Theory said simply before slashing at me quickly.

"Frost Banish!" she shouted as she sliced at me three times, I blocked them all, but she then did a somersault and kicked me onto the ground. She then brought her sword down into my chest.

"Peon!" Sheba yelled before jumping in her bathtub and slamming it into Theory. "Tea Leaves!"

Theory jumped up and tried to slash at Sheba, who partied her sword slashed with her ether cannon.

"Dessert Bomb!" Sheba said as she shot a huge ball of water into the air, it then exploded into water ether, throwing Theory to the ground.

"Rebel Sister!" Theory yelled as she slashed a gigantic icicle into existence before shattering it into ice ether, hitting Sheba into me.

"You ok?" I asked.

"We're fine," Sheba said as she got up.

I stood up next to her, "We need to finish this fast, I can't keep going."

"We're fighting with you, we've made our choice. We may not like you people and we think you're crazy, but we also think you'll need some divine help to survive. Just... try to figure out what we're doing, alright?" she said.

"Alright, then let's finish this!" I agreed.

"We feel power we haven't felt before, please, let's grab my weapon together," Sheba requested.

I grabbed her weapon along with her and her water spirit.

The words for this new art immediately entered our minds, and together, we yelled, "Royal Tea Party!" As the ether cannon shot out a massive water attack that pelted Theory into unconsciousness and the fight ended.

"Pretty good for a peon," Sheba laughed.

"Thank you, Sheba," I said sincerely.

She smiled. "You're welcome, now let's get out of this desert!"

Before we could even start figuring out what to do, a huge ship flew over our heads and landed right in front of us.

"Your peon friends have come for us!" Sheba said, but I fell over, the ether damage from earlier and Theory's sword attack left me pretty weak.

The ramp opened up and Gabri, Mythra, and Acacia walked down.

"Found these two cuties looking around for ya Silas," Gabriel joked.

Azami ran through them, almost knocking all three of them to the floor running towards me. But she immediately grabbed her ether cannon and aimed it for Sheba.

She, without warning, fired it directly at Sheba.

Everyone stood in shock as the smoke cleared up, but it hadn't hit Azami. Instead I was there, holding up my ether shield.

"Stand down guys, she's... one... of us...," I said before I blacked out.

"What?! But she betrayed us!" Azami whined.

"If Silas said she's fine, then she's fine. Let's move. We need to get back to Alba Cavanich, Rafi's in trouble," Acacia ordered as Azami picked up my limp body.

"The little nopon? What happened to him?"

"Our little furry friend is probably running head-first into her compound to rescue Poppi," Gabriel said. "We need to go."

...

Rafi looked at the building in front of him, Juliani's club. The place terrified him to tears. However he knew she wasn't there, and that calmed him enough to do something so stupid.

"Don't worry Poppi! Rafi is coming!"

Readability Level: 11-12th Grade

Time Taken: 7 Hours


	36. Chapter XXXVI

Book IV:

Of Princesses and Peons

Chapter XXXVI

As we went full speed back to Alba Cavanich, a vessel passed on the way back.

"That was one of Juliani's ships," Gabriel pointed out.

"Her ships are much faster than this one, odds are, even at full speed, we'll only be moments ahead of her," Acacia added.

"So we'll mount a full-on attack and kill them all," Malos said, however no one was sure if he was being serious or not.

KOS-MOS shook her head. "Alba Cavanich is already unstable as is. If the citizens found out Juliania's club withstood a major attack, there is a high probability of a local gang war. We must strike quickly and quietly."

"I already have our in," Acacia said, pulling a core crystal out of her bag.

"Is that a core crystal?!" Kasandra asked.

Acacia nodded. "This is their entertainment blade, Sonata."

"You sure she ain't edited?" Gabriel question.

"Positive," KOS-MOS said. "We crystallized her ourself."

"You take her Gabe," Acacia ordered.

"Why—?" Gabriel started.

"I have two blades, Silas has three, Rafi's not here and I don't think he can even resonate with blades, and this blade's too cheerful and I'd probably slap her," Acacia said abruptly.

"You ok with that Kassy?" Gabriel asked his blade for permission.

Kasandra fixed the mask on the back of her head and tightened the wrappings on her arms before responding. "Mhm! I could use a new friend!"

Gabriel nodded and grabbed the core crystal, however it wouldn't resonate.

"You can't resonate with it?" Acacia asked.

"No, the core crystal isn't ready yet," Gabriel explained. "Core crystals have a cool down time after the blades return to their crystals."

"Well you seem to have everything under control, so I'll go check on the brat," Malos said before leaving, not waiting for a reply.

He opened the door to find Mythra sitting by him, as he knew she would be. She's the real reason he went back there.

"Malos? What are you doing back here?" Mythra asked.

"Checking up on the slacker, how's he doing?"

"He suffered a lot of ethereal damage, but he's healing. But that's not why you came back here. What do you want?" Mythra questioned again, more aggressively.

"Heh, couldn't expect anything less from my partner. Who was your first driver?" he questioned.

"Mine? Addam. Addam Origo," she answered.

Malos thought for a second, bringing his hand up to his chin and closing his eyes, with his usual smirk. "Nope. Doesn't ring a bell. Blue skin? White hair? Who was my driver?"

Mythra gasped.

"What? Cat got your tongue? You know something... don't you?"

"How do you remember that? You shouldn't have any memories of that time!" Mythra argued.

Malos sighed, not losing his smirk. "Look, I don't care about what rules I am or am not supposed to follow, I want answers."

"I... don't feel right telling you, he wanted you to have a fresh start...," Mythra sighed.

"Who?" Malos asked impatiently.

"I... I don't remember, but that doesn't—"

"Fine, I've lost interest. You watch yourself Mythra," he said, but not necessarily rudely. Mythra herself wasn't sure if it was a threat, warning, or just a simple "be careful".

He left, leaving Mythra confused.

[C]...

"Who the hell are you?" the large Ardainian man said to Rafi.

Rafi, dressed up in a complete mechanic uniform he had bought, spoke nervously. "Juliani call shop yesterday for emergency repair of sink!"

"And it took you an entire day to get here?!" the man said, aggravated.

"Why, yes, Juliani call the Argentum shop, Rafi made it here as absolutely quickly as possible!"

"Are you saying Lady Juliani made a mistake?" the man asked angrily.

"No, no! Of course not! Juliani wanted very best sink mechanic, and Rafi happens to be best sink mechanic in Alrest. Juliani simply knew who to call!" Rafi said quickly.

The man sighed, before opening the door. "Get in. Fix it. Then get out. Juliani will be returning any minute and she deserves to have everything working when she gets back."

"Right, right!" Rafi responding before running in quickly.

He began poking around immediately, Poppi had to be somewhere in the building.

Most of the ladies in the club were focused on other things and too busy to notice Rafi, which made it all the easier to sneak around.

Rafi had never snuck in anywhere before, so he started roll around as he'd seen in action movies. He pretended to be a secret spy, it definitely helped him feel less terrified.

"What the hell are you doing?" a voice said behind him.

"Aah!" he yelled as he jumped three feet in the the air and spun around quickly to see a girl he recognized. It was Lila, the artificial blade designed by the same person who'd designed Poppi.

"Wait... I know you, don't I?" Lila said in thought.

"Nope! Rafi never met Lila before in life!" Rafi said, at first he thought he messed up by addressing her by name, but he then realized she was famous and him knowing her name wasn't unheard of.

Lila giggled. "No... you're Poppi's driver, aren't you?"

"No!" Rafi started before sighing. "...Yes."

"Good, then let's get you to her then," Lila said as she led the way down a hall.

"What what?!"

"She's waiting, you're not going to make me change my mind are you?" Lila questioned.

Rafi wasn't sure what was going on, but he was still terrified of this place, and decided this was better than nothing.

He followed her quickly to a back room, where he found Poppi, she was shut down and standing lifelessly.

"What did Juliani do to Poppi?!" Rafi exclaimed as he ran to her, looking over her carefully, he soon noticed a large wire going out of her head into a machine.

"What... is that?" Rafi asked.

Lila sighed. "Juliani decided it was best that Poppi forget her experiences with you and your kind. That way you can't get in the way of her 'change of ownership'."

"So why is Lila helping Rafi?" he questioned.

"Simple. About five hundred years ago Poppi beat me in a fight, even when I was more advanced in every way. She said it was because 'Her masterpon told her not to lose, so she wouldn't.' To this day, that still seems illogical, so I want her to wake up, so I can beat her down," Lila explained.

"That... pretty weird reasoning if you ask me," Rafi responded.

"Hurry up, you have about ten minutes before her memory is unrecoverable," Lila said before she started to leave.

Rafi started carefully examining the wire before Lila spoke up from down the hall.

"Oh!" she called. "And if you're here by the time Juliani comes back I'm ratting you out, so get to it!"

Rafi simply unplugged the machine and started Poppi back up.

Her eyes sparked to life and she blinked.

"R-Rafi? Where is Poppi?" she questioned.

"Poppi is ok! Rafi don't even think stupid machine was even turned on!" he laughed.

"Rafi, what is going on?"

Rafi composed himself before answering. "Rafi heard that Poppi gave herself up willingly, but then Juliani kidnap friends and leave Poppi behind, so Rafi come to save Poppi!"

"What?! Are friends ok? Where is Juliani?"

"Are you looking for me?" a female voice said as fear gripped Rafi's very soul.

He turned around slowly. "H-Hello Juliani..."

"Oh...," she said, annoyed. "It's you."

"Right... Rafi was just... fixing... a sink?" he responded, not sure exactly what to say.

She groaned. "Poppi please go wait by the wall, I'll deal with our uninvited guest."

"No! Poppi heard you kidnapped friends! Juliani said there would be no problems! Juliani not friend!" Poppi scolded.

Juliani sighed before she pressed a button, immediately, the area Poppi was standing on electrocuted her.

She let out a piercing scream before she fell down.

"Poppi!" Rafi yelled out of concern.

Juliani looked at him fiercely. "Are you happy now?! You've turned her against me and now it's going to take even more work to edit her cpu. It was already complicated enough, with her not even being a normal blade."

"Maybe if Juliani wasn't so lazy she could create her own Poppi and quit using other people's inventions!"

Juliani slapped him. "How dare you! Poppi and Lila are part of my heritage. I'm taking back what is rightfully mine. Now, since you were so kind as to bring her to me, I'll make sure I overlook your whole outburst and that sink you failed to repair. Get on the floor and beg for my forgiveness and I won't drag you to the arena and watch you get bludgeoned to death for my entertainment like your father!"

Rafi stood there, tears in his eyes. He was so... so scared. He didn't know what to do. He had watched his father go into the arena, he had even screamed, begged to not let Rafi watch as he was brutally murdered by the horrid beasts he was forced to witness. Juliani and all the girls had sat there... and laughed. Simply because they thought he was lesser than them, because they thought he deserved it. He said and believed things they didn't, and because they disagreed, he died. That's how it worked with her.

"Well? I'm waiting peon, I have to round up your friends, so if you could please hurry up," Juliani demanded again.

Rafi trembled before he dropped down on his knees. "Rafi... apologizes for this intrusion."

Poppi sat up, in a daze. "Rafi... what... is Rafi doing?" She then realized just how terrified he was. He was drenched and sweat and trying really hard not to cry.

"Stop! This not how you treat other people!" Poppi shouted.

Juliani shocked her again.

"Honestly! Do you see what you did to her? She's all uncooperative now, this is all your fault. You're just as worthless as your father."

"Don't talk about my father like that!" Rafi shouted, before immediately silencing himself, bracing for what was to come.

Juliani, needless to say, was furious. She knocked him to the ground and repeatedly beat him with her ear flaps. Even as a small nopon, there was power in their limbs, as normal human arms.

"You insignificant. Pathetic. Disgraceful. Ugly pig," she said as she beat him to the ground. "How dare you speak to me like you're on my level?! That's it, you're going to die the same way your ignorant father will!"

Poppi began crying. "STOP HURTING HIM!"

Juliani shocked her again.

Rafi stood to his feet, clenched his feet, and gritted his teeth.

Juliani gave him a fierce look, one that still scared him to his core. "Stand. Down," she ordered.

He stood his ground, refusing to move.

She slapped him again, but he blocked it, only infuriating her more. "DID YOU NOT HEAR ME? DO YOUR EARS NOT WORK? YOUR FATHER RAISED YOU TERRIBLY AND HIS WIFE DESERVED TO BE SOLD LIKE A SLUT!"

With everything Rafi had, he went back, and he slammed his fist into her face, throwing her back and slamming her into a wall. He then proceeded to tackle her and punch her again, and again, and again.

Poppi eventually pulled him off of her.

"Rafi that quite enough!" she pleaded.

"She killed Rafi's mom too!" he said, crying as he turned around and gripped Poppi, hugging her tightly. "R-Rafi's daddapon never told Rafi... Daddapon said sh-she died when Rafi was littlepon..."

"Thanks for helping Poppi, Rafi, but let's go, it time to find friends!" Poppi tried to encourage as Rafi tried to dry his tears.

"R-Right, it time to go."

As they left, they saw a note on the floor.

"I'm holding them hostage, bring Poppi," it said.

"It must be Lila," Rafi reasoned.

He turned to see a full grown woman next to him. She had long, blue hair, was wearing a skimpy, black and red outfit and had red eyes and a headband that resembled small demon horns.

"Poppi QT π initialized," she said. "We need all power Poppi has! Let's go save friends."

"Right, Poppi."

Readability Level: 11-12th Grade

Time Taken: 7 Hours


	37. Chapter XXXVII

Book IV Finale

Chapter XXXVII

"Mythra?! Sheba?!" I called out, looking around the room. I was in a lot of pain, felt like I had been hit by a truck.

Mythra responded first, walking in the door immediately. "Oh you're awake! You alright?"

"Kinda feel like I got beat half to death with a bunch of logs and thrown down a river and then buried alive in a pit full of scorpions. So yeah," I chuckled out. "'Alright' is subjective."

Mythra giggled a bit. "But you're still making sarcastic jokes so it can't all be too bad."

"Well we won and Sheba's back, so the pain's a little sweeter," I laughed.

"Oh great... you're a masochist too," she groaned sarcastically.

"Wait... who else was a masochist?" I questioned.

"Well it wasn't Rex or Addam, so I guess that narrows it down..."

"Hey," a voice said, distracting us both. It was Malos. "You two gonna keep flirting or are you going to help us get out of this vessel?"

"What do you mean?" Mythra asked.

"Some little artificial blade just surrounded our entire vessel with bombs strong enough to wipe out this entire city that'll go off if we try to leave," he shook his head and chuckled a bit. "So that's a development."

I started to get up, but Mythra gently pushed me back down.

"No, stay down, you need your rest, we'll take this," Mythra insisted.

As much as I hated it, she was right, I wasn't in any condition to fight. Ether damage may not leave physical wounds, but it wasn't a joke. Ether damage takes its toll.

...

"Poppi! Slow doooown!!" Rafi yelled as Poppi grabbed him by the hand and shot out of the building using rocket boosters installed into her feet.

Poppi didn't respond, instead she was more focused on fighting Lila. Five hundred years ago, Poppi fought Lila one-on-one under Tora's instruction. The only reason she believed she'd won was because her master had told her not to fail, and so she didn't. However fusing her own technology with Lila's is what gave Poppi her QT form. This form made her look like a teen, and no longer a child, she had used it when Rafi and her walked around Fonsa Myma. The form she was using now, however, designated Poppi QT π, was much different than any form she had.

Every part of her was designed by Tora's grandfather, Professor Soosoo. Tora may have built her up from scratch, and even made a few modifications, but her ether furnace, AI, blueprint, and most of who she was was personally designed by Soosoo. Lila has been designed by Soosoo and Tatazo, Tora's father. Poppi had always had the capacity to have three forms, but they weren't ever finished. Poppi QT was completed by Tora, Tatazo, and Lila, however Poppi QT π was designed by the same three and helped by her previous friends. Rex, Nia, Dromarch, Zeke, Mòrag, and a few others.

Poppi QT π was Tora's way of acknowledging that Poppi had grown up, she wasn't the same child he'd first turned on. As such, she was given a stunning female body, with beautiful features that turned heads no matter where she went, even by Rex. She hadn't intended it to be like that, but it sort of... happened. Each form was also much more powerful than its previous, Poppi QT π alone could rival even Mythra herself.

Each form also had its own weapon, Poppi alpha carried a shield with engines and a large drill built in it. It did serious damage and could block very powerful attacks. Poppi QT carried a pair of large, heavy gloves that could work defensively like a shield and deal out some major damage. They also fit snugly onto nopon earflap arms. Poppi QT π was different, though. Instead of being built as a tank like her previous forms, this form came with a powerful sword and was completely offensive, doing some of the most insane damage anyone had ever seen.

But the one thing that bugged Poppi about this form right now, was that it was Lila who had designed this outfit. It was skimpy, and definitely a head-turner and not Poppi's first choice, but Lila had made it for her, and for that reason it was special.

Even without a master to command her not to lose, Poppi was confident that she'd win. Lila wasn't even as powerful as Poppi alpha, so there's no way she'd lose. And worse case scenario... she could always use... that.

Before she had really wanted to, she arrived near the ship her new friends were on. And, sure enough, Lila was waiting.

Poppi landed quickly and sat Rafi down next to her.

"Get somewhere safe, Poppi will handle this," Poppi commanded.

"No! Rafi want to stand and help Poppi fight!" Rafi tried to argue.

Poppi simply ignored him. "Poppi said go."

"Aw what's the matter sis? No more masterpon for you?" Lila laughed.

"What happen to Lila? Lila used to be Poppi's friend!" Poppi asked.

"You look quite stunning in that outfit," Lila complimented, completely ignoring her question. "I've convinced your friends that if they try to leave the ship I'll blow this city into rubble."

"Rafi will go defuse bomb!" Rafi said as he ran towards the device outside the ship.

https/youtu.be/-eU9N59CkkA

"Try not blowing us all up dear, I have a sister to shatter," Lila laughed.

"Lila cannot beat Poppi! Poppi QT π is far superior!" Poppi threatened.

"Maybe stronger than my alpha form, but allow me to give you a new perspective."

Lila smiled before changing form entirely, her hair grew longer, and her maid dress turned into a familiar outfit. In fact, the entire form was familiar, she looked just like Poppi QT π, but with a black and purple outfit rather than black and red. Her black sword shot out a purple plasma blade.

"Introducing Lilan Byu-T," she smiled as she held her blade up.

"Wha-?!" Poppi said in shock. "Where did Lila acquire such power?!!"

"Oh please Poppi, you didn't think you were that special, did you? I happen to be just as capable of your power as you are, even more. My tech has been updated throughout the ages," Lila explained, before her face twisted into a more thoughtful expression. "Oh but what about you? Forgotten by the one who built you and left in a Leftherian dump for five hundred years."

"Lila knew where Poppi was?!" Poppi gasped.

"Of course I did," Lila laughed out. "But telling Juliani would have met I wouldn't get the chance to fight you myself, now allow me to wipe the floor with you."

Poppi shot out her own bright blue plasma blade out of her red sword.

"Bring it on!" Poppi shouted before activating the thrusters concealed in her feet and slashing at Lila full speed.

The two slashed at insane speeds, parrying each other quickly as they eventually pushed each other back.

"Poppi Ignition!" Poppi yelled as she sliced wildly.

Lila did nothing but laugh as she simply slammed her sword into Poppi's, throwing her back.

"What was your other art?" Lila asked, in deep thought. She then smiled, "ah yes, I remember."

She flipped her sword over as it became a gun and charged up a bright purple flash. "Noponic Axiom!"

Poppi brought her engines to life as she shot out of the way as a giant purple laser beam ripped through the air, hitting the back of her leg. She spun out of the air and landed on the ground.

"Oh come on sis, I KNOW you have more power than this pathetic display," Lila said, unsatisfied.

"Poppi!" Rafi called out! "This not bomb at all! It just... big hunk of metal, Lila only said it bomb to scare friends!"

"Oh? Looks like he's smarter than he looks," Lila laughed, before turning back to face Poppi. "You have more power."

"Poppi does not know what Lila talking about!" Poppi defended.

"Oh don't lie to me! You went head-to-head with a blade that shattered Malos in one hit and defeated both Pyra and Mythra. They say she was even faster than the speed of light, blessed by the Conduit itself. And you sacrificed yourself so that the others could flee! That power, I want that!"

Poppi sighed. "Poppi only use that as last resort, it not safe!"

"Afraid you'll hurt someone here, are you?"

"What?! No!" Poppi said. Something else entirely was hurting her, and oddly enough it wasn't even the thought of that power killing herself. She didn't want to hurt Lila. "Poppi... Poppi not want to fight Lila!"

"Oh come on, quit being so soft! If you won't show me... then I'll BEAT IT OUT OF YOU!" Lila shouted before her form began changing again.

Lila's physical appearance didn't change at all, instead the two large gloves that she used in her alpha state, the same gloves Poppi QT used, appeared in her hands, and she held two plasma swords. However, the entire atmosphere felt different, her power... Poppi didn't want to believe it was real.

"Enter Lila, Cosmic Anomaly," she said with a sudden fierceness in her eyes. "We end this now."

...

"Hey chums," Gabriel announced to all of us, still on board. "Rafi's fine, said the bomb's a fake. We ready to go?"

"Hold it," Mythra said quickly.

"Problem?" Malos said, raising a skeptical eyebrow.

"Let Poppi and Rafi handle it," she said simply.

Acacia seemed taken aback, even irritated "What do you mean?! We could be—!"

"It's no surprise to anyone that our teamwork is the worst," Mythra said, cutting her off. "And worst of all, the blade and driver relationships here are an actual joke. I haven't seen relationships this bad since Jin stabbed Fan La Norme through the core crystal!"

I looked at her puzzled. "You mean... those guys from five hundred years ago?"

She sighed. "Sorry, I forgot you guys weren't there for that." She switched gears, crossed her arms, and continued. "Listen, Rafi chose to stay behind and save her, odds are he's trying to prove himself. Poppi's fighting her sister, and she also believes she doesn't need a driver."

"Not true!" Kasandra argued, her cheeks flushed red and she pouted. "Poppi asked Gabriel to help train him and they've been working really hard!"

Mythra shook her head. "No, she didn't want him to feel useless. Tora made her special, there's nothing, no one else like Poppi, not even Lila. She has Tora's caring heart. Without a driver, without someone to tell her who she is and what she's to do, she will lose. Rafi needs to see that for himself, that's what will fix their mess."

"Lila's power output is at least twice of what Poppi's it, and it recently just multiplied itself by a factor of ten, there is a one point zero zero seven chance that she will succeed," KOS-MOS stated.

Acacia glared at Mythra before sighing. "And you're sure about this?"

"Positive," she confirmed, she then smiled a weak smile. "Call it... a blade's intuition."

...

Lila slashed at Poppi faster than she could see, Poppi tried to block it, but she got thrown down mercilessly.

"Come on Poppi! Where's the fire I saw in you so many years ago?" Lila scoffed. "You're hardly the same blade I met, did Rafi mess up something when he 'fixed' you or have the years taken that much of a toll?"

Poppi wanted to fight, but Lila was right, she wasn't the same blade she used to be. Tora had wanted nothing more than to be a driver, to help those in need. Even if some of his own design choices were... morally questionable... no one could deny that he had an honest heart and deeply wanted to help those suffering. Poppi remembered when Tora would still complain about not being able to be a driver, and every time he complained, it hurt her. Was she good enough? Could she fill that void that he couldn't even fill himself? It wasn't fair, she had never complained, but Rex accidentally ended up with the Aegis, and he was given so much power, but Tora worked with everything he had, and in the end he never even stood outside Rex's shadow. It wasn't Rex's fault, Tora so desperately wanted to be who Rex was, strong, powerful, loved by all, someone who took a stand for those who failed to stand on their own.

As Tora and Poppi grew closer, Poppi found that Tora no longer complained about not being a driver, and instead focused on making Poppi better and better. She stayed faithful no matter what happened, and he had loved her. They were inseparable.

That's why Poppi beat Lila all those years ago. Lila had been stolen and used for evil deeds she wasn't designed for, and therefore, even with better tech, Lila could never win.

But now, now... there was nothing. Poppi had no reason to fight. Poppi really loved Mythra, she was like Poppi's older sister, but Mythra alone wasn't the reason she fought.

Poppi made her decision, she had no reason to fight. The only thing she wanted was to rest with Tora, but she couldn't quit now, so she'd finish this, and there was only one way.

https/youtu.be/s2QJ6gV2XGo

"Initializing Poppi Q-TCE Finale," she said as Poppi QT's gloves appeared on her arms, her Poppi alpha shield appeared in one hand, and her sword in the other. It was time to finish this.

"What is Poppi doing?!" Rafi wasn't dumb, he knew that was too much power. "Poppi can't handle that! Stop now! We find another way!"

"This is the way, and I will end it now," Poppi said, suddenly speaking normal English, enough to even throw Lila off.

Lila stopped to laugh. "Oh this is so much better, bring it on sis."

"Agreed!" Poppi said before blasting off at her sister.

Their swords clashed with intense ferocity, and much to Rafi's dismay, Poppi's chest began glowing an intense orange, a major sign of overheating.

"Cosmic slash!" Lila yelled as she brought her two swords down toward Poppi, slashing away with speeds unseeable to the human eye.

Poppi used her shield to block every single attack without fail.

"Locked on, Poppi Unlimited," Poppi stated as her sword flipped into a gun that fired an insane number of rounds into Lila. Poppi then flipped her gun back into a sword before spinning around, creating a serious whirlwind, strong enough to blow Rafi off his feet, and slashed her sword into Lila, throwing her back.

"You cannot win! Surrender now!" Poppi yelled, not letting up. She shoved the drill on her shield into Lila's chest.

Lila stood her ground and pushed back the shield. "Don't be an idiot! I'm going to end this now!"

Lila slashed quickly, knocking Poppi off guard and then slashing through Poppi's chest, which was currently weak from the overheating.

Poppi fell back and Lila dropped the sword and punched Poppi with her glove, square in the torso, throwing Poppi into the sand.

Lila then went in and slashed at Poppi with her sword. Poppi parried it with her own, but Lila flicked it out of her hand and went for the finishing blow.

"It's over!"

"NO IT'S NOT!" an unexpected voice said as he grabbed Poppi's sword and slammed it into Lila, throwing her back.

"What?! Rafi what are you doing?!" Poppi scolded.

"Rafi is sick and tired of watching Poppi cry! Rafi didn't fight own fear just so Poppi could die for no reason!" he said as he slashed at Lila, who found it more amusing than threatening.

"Rafi! Stop it! That's not—!" Poppi started again.

Rafi silenced her. "That form, is not Tora's design! Rafi can tell!"

"What?! What does that have to do with anything?" Poppi questioned.

"Every form Rafi has seen. Alpha, QT, QT π, those forms all made with extreme love and compassion. Rafi can see it in engineering! But this form, this form have no love! It just a sick excuse to blow self up! Friends don't help friends by dying! Friends need friends to live for each other! Because that how friendship is...," Rafi stopped and took a deep breath, trying to steady his trembling hands as he slashed again at Lila.

"A-And...," he said as he ran at Lila full speed. "If Poppi have problem, THEN POPPI CAN FIGHT RAFI TOO!"

Poppi gasped. "Rafi no!"

Lila slammed the sword out of his hand and punched him to the ground. "Out of the way runt!" she said before bringing her sword down to his chest.

Poppi jumped in-between them and shielded him. "Do you think you can replace my masterpon?" she asked Rafi.

Rafi shook his head. "Of course not. Rafi can never promise to be what Tora was. But Rafi can promise to be the best Rafi can be, just as every other blade does! Blades forget everything when driver dies, but Poppi remembers, just like Aegises! Which mean Poppi have to move on, just like them!"

He... he was right... How could she have been so stupid?!

She, to Lila's dismay, powered down back to her QT π form and handed Rafi her sword. "Then what is Poppi's order, masterpon?"

Rafi stood up. "Just Rafi, is fine. And as for Rafi's first order, Rafi day beat Lila, no matter how powerful Lila is! DO NOT LOSE!" He handed her back her sword.

Poppi clenched her fist around the sword and glared at Lila.

"Roger roger," she acknowledged.

Lila slashed. "YOU'LL NEVER BEAT ME! NEVER!! THERE'S NO LOGICAL WAY THAT THIS IS POSSIBLE!"

Poppi grinned as she slashed back, defending much easier than before. "Rafi told Poppi not to lose, so Poppi won't. Logic very simple."

"No, NO! I WON'T LOSE!" Lila yelled.

"COSMO UNLIMITED!" she yelled before discharging a powerful laser, turning the sand around Poppi into purple-colored glass.

When the smoke cleared, Poppi was in her QT form, using her gloved-arms to block the blow, she then switched back into QT π.

"Rafi! It time!" Poppi called, flipping her sword into a gun and firing a few shots into Lila, throwing her off her game.

"Right behind Poppi!" Rafi said as he spun around, grabbing Poppi's sword and hitting Lila square a couple times.

Poppi took the sword as they shouted in unison, "Quantum Judgement!"

Poppi spun around, throwing Lila into the air with her swords as she released one hundred percent of her power in mid-air, slamming Lila into the ground, ending the fight.

Poppi quickly changed back into her alpha state and ran towards Lila, who had also reverted, and wrapped her in a hug.

"What... is Poppi doing?" Lila asked. Her speech pattern had glitched and returned to her noponic manner of speech.

"Hugging Poppi's sister," Poppi answered.

Lila began crying. "Where did Lila go wrong? Why did Lila fight Poppi?!"

"Lila was just following mistresspon's orders, it not Lila's fault," Poppi tried to calm. "Please don't cry..."

Lila cried even more. "No, no... Lila not crying... Lila just performing routine eye-cleaning proto—"

"Oh hush," Poppi giggled. "Poppi already use that excuse too many times."

Lila giggled a bit too. "Juliani have much stronger technology than Lila, but... Lila think Poppi will beat her."

Poppi hugged her tighter as Rafi our a sympathetic hand on Poppi's shoulder.

"Rafi can fix Lila, if that ok," Rafi offered.

"Oh... Rafi adorable, but there no fixing Lila. Cosmic Anomaly is... imperfect. Lila... doomed from start...," she said, as she began shorting out.

"No! That mean—" Poppi began.

"Lila about to explode, yes," Lila smiled. "Lila love Poppi so much... beat Juliani... for Lila..."

Lila shut down completely in Poppi's arms, and Poppi cried.

"Of course... Poppi will...," Poppi smiled.

"Rafi hate to break up sad moment but... LILA ABOUT TO EXPLODE!" Rafi said in a panic.

"Poppi will fix it," Poppi said before taking Lila in her arms and rocketing into the sky.

She flew as high and as hard as she could, and, at last second, she used her insane superstrength to launch Lila out of Alrest's atmosphere, where she detonated harmlessly.

"Rest happily, Lila."

...

"Yes General, I'm almost there," Lieutenant Violet Uzuki said unto the cell phone.

"Great," Adonis responded over the line. "Eliminate that entire Architect-forsaken place!"

"With pleasure."

"And bring your sister in alive."

"I'm free to break her first, yes?" she clarified.

"As long as she's breathing, I don't care what you do to her. Bring me Mythra's core crystal, all other blades and drivers can be disposed of."

"Wilco," she said before hanging up. "You hear that T-Elos?"

T-Elos, her mechanical blade, perked up at the sound of her name.

"KOS-MOS is all yours."

T-Elos smiled, this should be fun.

Up Next:

Book V: Uzuki

Readability Level: College Level

Time Taken: 9 Hours


	38. Chapter XXXVIII

Book V: Uzuki

Chapter XXXVIII

We decided to hide our vessel and stay at the Alba Cavanich Inn, it wasn't anywhere we wanted to be, but we knew staying in that was a death trap, we'd leave the next day.

Poppi and Rafi has gotten much closer, just as Mythra had predicted. I wondered if it was her foresight or it really was just a hunch. To be fair, it was hard to comprehend even simply what she could do. She reportedly has the power to sink continents, but that's not anything I'd seen up to this point.

These thoughts plagued me as I tried to sleep. Eventually, I did drift, and before I knew it, I passed out.

...

Acacia had taken all her clothes off down to her underwear, she was too tired to go drink, so she decided against it. It was probably for the best anyways.

She took a good look at herself in the mirror. Her skin was very tan, and had only gotten darker with the sun's light. Her skin didn't burn in the sun, after all, she was Ardanian, and Ardanians didn't burn.

She had already taken a shower, one thing Mor Ardain was known for was its amazing hot springs, and even clean, she wasn't quite satisfied with how she looked. However, she had never really cared about how she looked. She only cared that she lived to fight another day. Speaking of fighting...

She had cleaned her gun earlier, but she needed to check her sword. After all, a sword did nothing if it was broken. She carefully inspected the long, slightly-curved blade she used as her main sword. This katana was a gift from Adonis, despite how deceitful he was, he had been like a father to her. She wondered why she'd betrayed him, but she knew why. She was lied to before in her life, and it only led to her pain. She didn't care what the reason was, Adonis was a liar, and she couldn't trust him, no matter how much she wanted to.

She carefully gripped the blade as she inspected it. No cracks, chips, warping, or damage. Perfect. Adonis may be a liar, but at least the weapons he ordered were top notch.

Acacia then wrapped her fingers around the handle, feeling the monster skin the handle, or tsuka, as was the official name of it, was wrapped in on her hands. She had designed the handle herself, and it had meant a lot to her.

In truth, she hadn't used it for a long while. Even when she had first fought Silas, she used her short sword. However Acacia thought it was time for her to begin using this blade, as fighting seemed to be escalating the longer she stayed with these people.

Acacia immediately grabbed her katana, and slashed behind her, and, just as she thought, it clashed against something else.

"Long time no see sis," the other blade wielded said.

"Hello, Lieutenant Uzuki," Acacia greeted in a monotone voice.

"Aww, didn't you miss your sister? Also call me by my first name, you're no longer affiliated with the BCC and this whole military jargon thing bores me," she teased.

We both fell silent as we heard steps fast approaching the room.

https/youtu.be/kdmEV3v8z1Y

"Right on cue!" Violet giggled. "Oh, T-Elos! I got you a present!"

"What are you—?" Acacia started before KOS-MOS kicked in the door, transformed her arm into her R-Blade and rushed Violet.

However, before she could get close, another girl slammed through the ceiling and forced KOS-MOS to the ground.

KOS-MOS kicked the woman off of her and locked onto her, immediately recognizing her.

"T-Elos?" KOS-MOS questioned.

"Hello KOS-MOS," T-Elos responded.

Acacia took a good look. T-Elos looked exactly like KOS-MOS, they even sounded similar. KOS-MOS has pale skin, blue hair, and her mechanical parts were all white. T-Elos had white hair, dark tanned skin, and her mechanical parts were black and purple.

"What's this Violet?!" Acacia asked.

"My new weapon," Violet introduced, "Her name is T-Elos."

Immediately KOS-MOS rushed T-Elos with her R-Blade, but T-Elos had her own blade, a dark purple one, and they began fighting.

"Call her off! She's not a weapon! She's a—" Acacia started, only to be cut off.

"She's a blade, yes, I'm aware," Violet interjected. "You may have loved getting blindsided by obvious lies, but I'm much less gullible than you sweetie."

T-Elos pulled out a large, scythe-looking weapon and slashed at KOS-MOS, who jumped back and let out a shot from her ether cannon, an attack that T-Elos knocked out of the air with her bare hand.

"What are you talking about?! You knew he was lying?!" Acacia interrogated.

Violet giggled. "He said you were too fragile to know the truth," she tossed her hair back casually and giggled again. "And he was right."

Acacia had had enough, she clutched her katana and slashed at Violet, who parried it with her own katana.

"You've gotten sloppy, sis. Must be what happens when you abandon everyone who depended on you," Violet said, half laughing, but entirely serious.

Acacia rolled her eyes. "The BCC didn't need me that much."

Violet's blade became engulfed in a purple flame. "I WAS REFERRING TO ME YOU HEARTLESS BITCH!" she yelled as she slammed her blade into Acacia's with enough force to throw Acacia back a considerable distance.

"What are you talking about?!" Acacia questioned.

Violet laughed hysterically. "Oh you're such an idiot..."

She pulled off her shirt, so that she was left in nothing but a bra and her pants, revealing horrid, bloody scars all over her body, some of them infected and leaking puss.

Acacia gasped, and almost felt nauseous at the very sight.

Violet smiled. "Pretty gross, huh? This is what happened to me, after you abandoned me!" she explained as her emotions constantly flipped from laughing to angered. "Every scar I got after you left... every pain I felt... I pulled off it's scab every two days, so that one day... I could show you exactly what I went through while you were off forgetting I even existed."

Acacia was speechless, what had happened? But she refused to stay silent.

"You need to get to a hospital now! Those are serious infections!" she yelled.

"You should be worrying about yourself, KOS-MOS isn't doing too hot and in five minutes the BCC is running down this entire shit hole of a town," Violet responded.

Acacia turned to see KOS-MOS pinned down, T-Elos seemed to be trying to rip off her arm. Acacia felt horrible, she had been to selfish once again to even notice her blade struggling. Why was she such a terrible driver?

She set her blade towards T-Elos and charged at her, T-Elos jumping back and parrying it with her scythe.

"Enough T-Elos, we have a city to burn," Violet commanded. "We'll come back when she's more of a challenge."

T-Elos sighed. "Very well, goodbye KOS-MOS, til next time. But do me a favor and actually show me your power next time, this was pathetic."

And they were both gone as swiftly as they had arrived.

Acacia ran to KOS-MOS. "KOS-MOS are you alright?!"

KOS-MOS got off the ground and simply stood there. "All systems functioning normally."

"I thought all blades forgot everything in between resonation, how do you know that other blade?! And why did she look just like you?!"

KOS-MOS stood emotionless as normal. "T-Elos is part of me, however it would seem that the BCC is going to issue and attack on Alba Cavanich. Our best course of action would be to retreat immediately."

"I guess so...," Acacia sighed before KOS-MOS and her went to wake up the rest of their group.

After some groggy responses a quick briefing, everyone got together and they all ran out of the inn towards the place they had hidden the titanless vessel.

However, before they made it they were stopped in their tracks.

They looked around to see an army of about fifty people with guns trained on them, they were completely surrounded.

"What do we do, Silas?" Acacia asked me.

"Surrender," a female voice, Violet, said to them as she walked out into the middle of everything. Behind her was T-Elos and... Pyra, who followed her silently.

"I hope you know we're not going to do that," Malos laughed, he seemed almost amused by everything going on around him.

Violet smiled. "Oh I was hoping you'd say that!" she responded before turning her attention to her soldiers. "Listen here fuckwads, first person to take a shot is getting their head chopped off. I want my turn and Pyra wants hers, if I become unable to battle then shoot them all down, except for the target."

Violet then turned back to us, specifically Acacia, as T-Elos handed her the scythe she had used to fight KOS-MOS earlier.

"So, are you coming up one at a time?" Violet asked. "Or do you all want to die together?"

Readability Level: 11-12th Grade

Time Taken: 4 Hours


	39. Chapter XXXIX

Book V: Uzuki

Chapter XXXIX

"Violet! This is our old hometown! Don't do this!" Acacia pleaded.

Violet laughed. "Oh that's fucking RICH coming from you. You left me, just like you promised me you never would..."

"What's going on, Acacia? This is the same girl who attacked us when we were with Zeke, right?" I questioned.

"Yes Silas," she sighed. "This is Lieutenant Violet Uzuki, my sister."

"Funny you should mention that old fool," Violet laughed. "I guess no one told you that he died."

Gabriel immediately spoke up. "Don't you bloody dare lie to me," he said, angered.

"Oh, you're his bastard right?" Violet giggled. "Yeah, I'm not lying, manipulation is more of my sister's schtick."

"Violet, I left you so we could survive together, I don't understand what you're talking about. I left you with a home and funds to keep it paid," Acacia explained.

Violet laughed for a good while before sighing. "You're funds never reached me."

Acacia gasped. "What do you mean?"

"Of course, you would have known that if you'd ever bothered to read the letters I sent," Violet continued as she started pacing back and forth. "You never once wrote back, and I didn't even think you ever opened even one of them. So I jumped out on the streets, a girl with purple hair and eyes is a rare sight, and one that had given up on life, yet still wanted to see her sister again, no matter the cost... Well... I took up a 'special' job. I worked with men, and whatever they wanted to do, I let them. As long as they did it in a way that I could hide it underneath a shirt. You want to know how I got those scars?" she stopped and laughed as she gripped her katana.

"Violet... you didn't!" Acacia yelled, not wanting to believe it.

"I BECAME A WHORE!" she yelled out. "And not just any old whore, a tiny one. I was still fifteen, but I lied about my age to anyone that asked. And the things some of those guys did... cuts, bruises, flesh wounds, they loved to see me cry," she stopped, looked down, and smiled, "And I did that a lot."

"I never intended for—"

Violet cut Acacia off. "But you did! The 'home' you gave me, I was evicted from it the moment you left because we were already that behind on bills! And when I tried to reach out for you, when I NEEDED you, you weren't even willing to look in my direction."

We stood there silently, not sure how to respond, Gabriel seemed to be contemplating his father's alleged death, wondering if she was really telling the truth.

"I saw you, y'know," Violet continued. "Receiving the Colonel rank from General Adonis himself. You looked so proud, and so I tried to get up to the stage. I told your detail that I was your sister, and they told me that you'd said you had no family."

Acacia fell silent.

Violet sighed before pointing her katana at her sister. "So I joined too. I became VERY friendly with the General and ranked up faster than you ever did, and then you started drinking your life away. I hardly knew you," Violet then took a very serious look. "So I'll kill you, and preserve the memory of the sister who did care for me. You're not my sister, you're a demon who took her body, her voice, and I'll make sure you suffer every ounce that I have."

https/youtu.be/Z5jdkyYvSZY

Pyra, who had stayed in the background quietly, pulled her sword and lunged at Mythra, who drew her own and fought back.

Acacia pulled a short sword and fought against Violet, Gabriel right behind her.

Pyra slashed quickly, but Mythra was still much faster. She kicked Pyra back and knocked her to the ground before passing the sword to me.

"Rolling Smash!" I yelled before slamming my sword into her.

Violet slashed with extreme speed, so much so that Acacia couldn't quite keep up.

"You should be using your weapon, why are you holding back?!" Violet yelled as she jump kicked Acacia square in the face.

T-Elos and KOS-MOS also went full force at each other.

"T-Elos' output is currently four times my own, I will require your assistance," KOS-MOS said to Rafi and Poppi.

"Right! Poppi! Let's show mean robot what Poppi and Rafi can do!" Rafi said, getting pumped.

"Roger masterpon," Poppi said as she transformed into her QT π form, throwing Rafi the sword.

"Stop calling Rafi that! It weird!" Rafi complained once again.

Poppi nodded, "Yes masterpon."

T-Elos slashed at KOS-MOS with her scythe, KOS-MOS jumped backwards and shot a barrage of bullets with her R-Cannon.

"Malos! Hand me your blade," Acacia ordered.

"Whatever," he said, throwing his Aegis blade at Acacia.

She felt the dark power course through her as she was able to move much faster and hit much harder.

"So this is an Aegis?" Violet giggled. "Good."

Violet slashed quickly, Acacia keeping up carefully.

"Monado Buster!" Acacia yelled as the blade of darkness radiating out of Malos's sword shot out and she slashed it at Violet.

Violet knocked the blade out of the way with an ether shield, and immediately afterwards, the shield dissolved into nothing.

"What's this?!" Violet gasped.

Malos took the sword from Acacia. "My Aegis power, I can destroy anything I touch with this blade. Don't underestimate me," he warned.

"Ah, so this is what Adonis meant...," Violet said, she then proceeded to laugh. "Then try this one big boy!"

Violet rushed Malos with her katana, slamming it into Malos' blade. Her katana, however, did not dissolve.

"Hm, so you got yourself a shiny weapon? That's fine, let's see what you can do with it," Malos laughed, almost entertained.

They slashed back and forth at incredible speeds, however Acacia knew that her and Violet weren't what anyone would call "normal people".

Violet dashed quickly and knocked Malos into the air before slicing off his arm and throwing him to the ground. She then immediately charged towards Acacia.

"YOU PROMISED ME!" she yelled as she slashed at Acacia.

Acacia held her own pretty well, but not so well that she hadn't already been cut a few times.

"'I'll protect you sis!' You couldn't even protect yourself!" Violet yelled as she went for the killing blow.

"Sentimental Burst!" a high-pitched, female's voice said as Violet was hit with condensed dark ether, throwing Violet back.

Kasandra then threw her club, a shield hammer, to Gabriel.

"You look like you could use a hand," he said.

She nodded, "Careful, she's much stronger than any normal human."

"Come on Kassy, let's show her what a Tantal Prince and his blade can do!"

"Right!" Kasandra nodded.

Pyra slashed at me as I narrowly parried her attacks with the ether shield on my arm.

"You've gotten stronger," Pyra giggled.

I threw Mythra's sword, narrowly missing Pyra's head. Mythra caught it behind her.

"And you haven't grown at all," Mythra said as her core crystal began growing brightly and she began floating off the ground as she pointed her blade skyward.

I jumped back as Mythra pointed her sword downwards, a beam of light instantly shot down from the sky and hit Pyra directly.

It threw her unconscious.

"That took a lot out of me... I'm not sure why, I used to be able to do that quite a few times before I was drained," Mythra said.

"Take a break," I said before putting her weapon away and pulling another weapon, summoning Sheba.

"How can we help?" Sheba asked.

"We got Adonis' forces on us, you ready to go?" I asked.

"Very well," Sheba said, stepping out of her bath tub. "Let us serve them their just desserts."

Rafi slashed at T-Elos, who deflected his attacks fairly easily.

KOS-MOS shot out a few rounds before switching to her R-Blade and putting everything she had in it, slashing into T-Elos.

"KOS-MOS you're pointless," T-Elos said, knocking her to the ground.

"Noponic Axiom!" Poppi yelled out as she took her sword, flipped it to a gun, and shot out a laser beam at T-Elos.

T-Elos evaded it, flying into the air with intense speed. Poppi activated her own thrusters as she flew up and met T-Elos in the air, slashing at each other with their blades.

T-Elos spun her scythe around and slammed Poppi into Rafi, throwing them both out of the fight.

"Detonation Blow!" Gabriel yelled as he slammed his shield hammer into Violet, who slashed the entire weapon out his hand with her katana.

"What's that thing made out of?!" Gabriel exclaimed.

"Pain, suffering, and fuck you," Violet joked as she kicked him square in the throat, throwing him to the ground.

She went for the finishing blow, but Kasandra jumped in between them, using her ether shield to block the katana.

The katana pierced straight through the ether shield, stopping just before it would have pierced Kasandra.

"She's... toying with us," Kasandra pointed out.

I converged with Acacia as T-Elos converged with Violet.

"Let's finish this, Violet," T-Elos said.

"Agreed."

"Leopard Blow!" I yelled as I shot out a beam with Sheba's ether cannon.

T-Elos knocked it out of the air with no effort as a few metal prongs pulled the top of her shirt away in a revealing fashion. A large metal chamber was revealed as a large red ball of pure energy was formed right in front of her.

"U-TENERITAS," she said as the ball of energy grew to huge proportions and blasted itself at us.

"What the hell is this?!" Acacia questioned.

Sheba jumped in front of us, using her ether shield.

I put myself between her and her ether shield, and added mine to hers as the blast wiped up out completely.

We were all thrown to the ground, breathing, but far from ok.

https/youtu.be/-eU9N59CkkA

"Well that should about wrap things up," Violet said simply, she then looked at Pyra, who'd just gotten up.

"Taking a nap I see, I'm sure Adonis will be glad to hear just how important you were," Violet scolded.

"I'm sorry, I really am!" Pyra pleaded quickly.

"Whatever," Violet scoffed, before turning her attention to the entire army patiently waiting in the background. "SOLDIERS! Take aim, we kill them all now. Leave Mythra alive."

They all took aim.

"What do we do?!" I asked Acacia.

I then saw something I'd never seen before, she was crying, in a way that only I could see it.

"Ha, so this is it, eh?" Gabriel chuckled.

"None of you knew how to work together, you were all weak and doomed from the start. Fire!" Violet ordered as we heard the gunshots all fire at once.

But strangely, none of the bullets never hit.

I looked up to see Malos, with both of his arms. He dropped a large number of bullets and laughed.

"I was wondering if I'd ever get the chance to try out my power, so I guess I should thank you, slut," Malos laughed.

"Malos no!" Mythra shouted, however, she was still out of power and unable to do much.

"Listen here, princess. Just because you're scared of yours doesn't mean I'm scared of mine," he laughed before gripping his sword in his hand.

"What are you going to do?" Violet laughed. "You couldn't beat me a second ago, what makes you think you can beat me now?"

He disappeared into a cloud of black smoke, disappearing from reality before reappearing behind Violet, slapping her to the ground.

"I am an Aegis, don't underestimate me," he said.

T-Elos immediately shot another red energy orb at him.

Malos laughed as he caught it, turned it pure black, and threw it back at her, driving her into the ground.

Immediately, all of the soldiers took aim at him and fired. Malos smiled and disappeared again before reappearing right where he was.

However, the gun shots had stopped.

I looked up to see all of the guards had been reduced to piles of severed flesh, he had killed them instantly... and moved so fast that we hadn't even seen it happen.

"Flee now," he warned.

Violet stood up, pissed off. "Fine, T-Elos, Pyra, move out."

And so they did. This brought the battle to a swift end.

It was this day that I realized what being an Aegis meant. The power that I was meant to control. The very thing that had flipped history on its head three times, this was the power of an Aegis.

Readability Level: 11-12th Grade

Time Taken: 5 Hours


	40. Chapter XL

Book V: Uzuki

Chapter XL

"What the hell was that?!" Acacia said, yelling at Malos as they entered the ship. It was still late out but the events that had just transpired were weighing heavily on our minds.

"That's an interesting way to say thank you," Malos answered.

"Malos, you killed all of those people for no reason!"

"No reason? Need I remind you they were trying to kill us?" Malos shrugged off.

"Those were people just doing their jobs! Have you forgotten that the entire world is anxious at the very thought of a common blade?! What do you think the reaction is going to be when they find out a single blade wiped out an army of a hundred soldiers!" Acacia shouted.

"So you're saying I should have let you die, is that it?"

Acacia sighed. "No! But you have power, you can't just go do whatever you want!"

"Oh I'm sorry, should I credit you for the idea?!" Malos shot back.

"What are you talking about?!" Acacia snapped.

"Nothing if you don't count your lack of communication, failure to act like a leader, and getting drunk in a ditch every chance you can get. That sum it up for ya?" Malos listed.

Acacia stopped before turning to KOS-MOS. "Can you help me out here?"

KOS-MOS shook her head. "Negative, no data suggests that he's acting outside the will of you as his driver."

"Well I'll be in my room if you need me. Let me know when we actually have a plan," Malos said before leaving.

"Damnit, Malos wai—"

"Leave it Acacia," Gabriel said, cutting her off. "What's up with you and the Lieutenant?"

"Yeah, she seemed much more pissed off than the last time we fought her," I added.

"Judging by what she showed me, she's dying," Acacia admitted. "Lieutenant Violet Uzuki... she's my sister."

"Violet Acacia's sisterpon?" Rafi clarified.

"That not seem very likely," Poppi added.

Acacia nodded, "Yes, we split up a number of years ago, but apparently I failed to leave her in a good place like I intended to."

"I want the whole story," I pried.

"What do you mean, Silas?" Acacia asked.

"Tell us everything, she said things I don't understand, about you holding back. When we fought, I had thought you were holding back, but I wasn't sure at the time," I pressed.

Acacia stood there, not saying anything. Obviously questioning whether she'd really go through with this.

"We need to start trusting each other!" Kasandra said, cutting the silence. "I think you should share!"

"Fine!" Acacia agreed on begrudgingly. "Sit down, shut up, and I'm going through it quickly, so keep up."

We all sat down quietly in the sitting room as the vessel began on a course to Leftheria.

"As you know, I am from Mor Ardain, more specifically, the city we just visited, Alba Cavanich" Acacia started. "Our parents weren't the greatest of role-models..."

...

"PUT THE MONEY IN THE BAG AND SHUT THE FUCK UP ACACIA," the man yelled at the little girl, who grabbed it nervously.

"Y-Yes Dad," she said before putting money in the bag.

This was the time period when Alba Cavanich began its spiral into what it is today, and armed robbery was becoming a new norm. However, not all of them decided to bring two young girls like it was some sort of "family activity".

"Here Vi, take this money and take it to the guard," Acacia said to her four-year-old sister.

After stealing three thousand G and making an escape, they met at home.

"You brats go clean up, I'm going to the bedroom to talk to your mom," he said before going to the room they were forbidden to enter.

"But I wanna see Mom! Didn't we do a good job?" Acacia pleaded.

"Yeah! I miss Mommy!" Violet added.

"I said when you make me a million G you can talk to her again, but she doesn't have time for you so BEAT IT!" he yelled before slamming the door.

Acacia and Violet quietly snuck back into their room, a closet with one twin-sized bed and covered in bugs and whatever food they could scavenge.

"Why won't he let us see her?!" Violet asked, starting to cry.

Acacia wrapped her sister in a tender hug. "Don't cry Vi, you don't even remember her or what she looks like," she giggled out. Laughing to hide the pain.

"I know...," she sniffed. "But when you talk about her... I can't help but want to meet her! She seems like such a nice person and I don't like seeing you hurt!"

Acacia sighed and stroked her sister's hair. "It's ok Violet, really it is. He said Mommy was sick, so I'm sure she really wants to, but she can't!"

"I'm so scared...," Violet said. "What if we never see her again?! What if he hurts you again and I can't see you?!"

"I'll be right next to you Vi," Acacia smiled as she cradled her little sister. "Always."

Readability Level: 11-12th Grade

Time Taken: 2 Hours

This will be my last chapter until October. I am shipping out to boot camp in the Air Force on Tuesday and I don't have time to write anymore. I promise I will return and finish this, but it's going to be awhile before I can. Thank you guys so much for your support and I can't wait to continue and finish this story.


	41. Chapter XLI

I'm back guys! Jsyk my new chapter release times are Sundays at 2000 PST (8:00pm PST). I just released this one cuz I wanted to! Enjoy!

Book V: Uzuki

Chapter XLI

"And so that's what we did for month after month," Acacia continued telling us. "We robbed and swindled and pickpocketed and fought just for the hope to see our mom."

"Did you ever meet her?" Kasandra asked, obviously already sad.

Acacia shook her head before continuing. "We... found out the truth, and from that moment on, our lives were changed."

...

"I want to see her NOW!" Acacia demanded, no longer taking "no" for an answer.

Her father looked extremely angry before he stood up straight. He was much taller and more muscular than she was, and Ardanians weren't small people, he was very intimidating. Acacia was just a small child, however she was done playing this game.

"What did you say to me?" he asked in a threatening tone.

Acacia didn't waiver, she already didn't care whether she lived or died, she just wanted to see her mom. "I said, 'I. Want. To. See. Her. Right now.'"

"What makes you think I should grant you that privilege?" he glared, his rage very obvious.

"VI HASN'T EVEN MET HER! I barely even remember her... I'm not playing around anymore! I'm twelve now, I want to see her!"

Violet was standing away from him, cowering behind her older sister.

Her father was obviously pissed. "You still owe me six hundred thousand girl, you'll have to wait."

"You're telling me we've stolen four hundred thousand g from innocents and we STILL 'owe' you? You've never even fed us! I had to steal even more just to take care of Violet!" Acacia yelled back.

"Acacia, it's ok, we just need to work harder!" Violet jutted in. "I don't want to fight anymore..."

"Better listen to your sister girl," her father said.

Acacia sighed. "I didn't want to have to do this, but you left me no choice."

Acacia pulled a revolver she had stolen from under her dress and cocked it, pointing it at him.

He immediately stopped and put his hands up.

"Unlock and open the door, and move, NOW," she said, very calmly.

"You slimy ungrateful runt! You dare pull a gun on your own flesh and blood?!" he argued.

"Acacia stop!" Violet squealed.

Acacia didn't waiver. "Violet, stay behind me, and cover your ears," she turned to him. "You heard me, move."

He eventually caved in and opened the door, moving out of the way.

Acknowledging his movements, she kept her gun trained on him. "Vi, move now."

Violet, on the verge of crying, nodded and moved into the room.

"You've made a huge mistake deary," the man said.

Acacia carefully followed Violet into the room. "We'll see."

Violet and Acacia went into the room, however they were both met with horror as the room was completely empty.

"I- I don't understand... She's supposed to be here, isn't she?" Violet asked, crying for real now. "Maybe she's in the bathroom."

"No... she wasn't here to begin with...," Acacia said, already putting the pieces together.

The gun was ripped out of her hands as her father laughed. She'd let her guard down.

"And see we shall, I always knew you were too clever for your own good little missy," he taunted.

"What happened?!" Violet sobbed. "Where is she? Where is my mom?"

"I sold your mom to pay off my debts years ago, it's every man for himself out here in this shit hole," he explained.

"S-Sold her?" Acacia couldn't believe it. "So we've just been pawns this entire time?!"

"Geez, where did you become so smart? Well, now I need to tie up loose ends, don't take it personally my girl."

"I was never YOUR girl," Acacia growled.

Her dad laughed as he held her gun and directed it towards her. "I guess so, but that makes this so much easier."

Violet immediately jumped at him, throwing him off. "NO I WON'T LET YOU!"

"GET OFF!" he yelled as he pulled the trigger, hitting Violet in the leg.

She let out a yelp of pain and fell to the ground. Acacia, with extremely quick thinking that only comes with living in a tough environment, smashed a mirror to bits and firmly held a shard as she rushed him, planting the shard firmly into his chest.

He coughed out blood and went to the ground, Acacia quickly pried the gun out of his hand and held it back up to his head.

"So what now girlie? You gonna bite the hand that feeds you?" he asked.

"You never fed me, that's what makes this so much easier," she said before pulling the trigger.

...

"After that, I patched up her leg and we left Alba Cavanich, and we went to my mother's hometown in Uraya. From there, we tried to make a living, but it wasn't easy. The bills kept coming in and I didn't want to steal anymore, so when I ran into the General of the BCC, I told him my story, and he agreed to help me, but I had to leave Violet behind. I couldn't tell her where I was going or why, but only that I had too," Acacia explained. "We never found our mom, but we visited her grave. After that, I couldn't look at Violet anymore, I had failed her as a sister. I couldn't ever tell her why I really left, because I couldn't look her in the eye. It was best that I stopped being with her and send her money from afar. She was better off without me..."

"Poppi not think that true...," Poppi jumped in. "Clearly Violet not think so either."

Acacia nodded. "Years later she joined the BCC as well, moved up the ranks way faster than I ever did, she was called 'the Colonel's replacement'. She even joined the same exclusive experimental soldier program I did."

"What's this now?" Gabriel questioned.

"What Acacia mean, 'Experimental soldier program'?" Rafi added.

"I don't know," Acacia answered.

"You don't... remember?" I interrogated.

She shook her head. "No, I have no idea what I've done for the past few years, I only know that for the last few months I was tasked to get Mythra, but I can feel that there was something else, something no one will tell me."

"So that's the reason you joined us," Mythra concluded.

Acacia nodded. "When I found out you also couldn't remember things, I couldn't help but wonder if we were victims of the same disease."

"So that's why you're always drinking," Kasandra said. "You ran into a lot of unlucky situations and you don't know what to do with that..."

"And being around your sister who's constantly outperforming you isn't helping either," Sheba added.

"You ever think that's how Pyra feels?" I thought aloud.

Mythra's temper immediately flared. "Hey, how about you keep those thoughts to yourself, huh?"

I jumped back. "Sorry! I didn't mean it, really... I'm just... kind of worried about her."

"Ugh you're just as bad as all of them...," Mythra sighed.

We all fell silent as we heard a loud noise echo through the ship. We all looked behind us to see Azami passed out on the couch, we had been talking for about two hours, and it was still late.

"It is recommended that you all rest to recover for tomorrow," KOS-MOS said from the pilot's room. She was flying the ship, again.

"Yeah, let's go," I concurred.

...

Acacia went to her room and pulled out her katana again, a weapon she didn't understand, but was a huge part of her. The blade was crimson red and the handle was crimson wrapped in black. On the blade, near the tsuba was an engraving of a butterfly. Her sign, "The Crimson Butterfly", what did it mean?

She carefully held the blade in her hand as her thoughts all melted away, the very reason she didn't use the blade. Where did she go? Who did she become when she held this blade?

However she could no longer resist, she held the blade in her hand, and she opened the door to the ship that led outside. She looked outside, and with a running start, her body became engulfed in crimson red as she bolted out of the door, falling to the ground at speeds faster than what could be seen, leaving a trail of crimson light.

Readability Level: 11-12th Grade

Time Taken: 3 Hours

#FalseGods

#BookFive

#ChapterFortyOne


	42. Chapter XLII

Book V Finale

Chapter XLII

"I need help."

"You... you're different from other people here, young one... Who are you?"

"My name is Acacia Uzuki, I've been on the run with my sister for a long time, I need a job. Can you help me?"

"I smell the blood of those you've killed. Who?"

"...What?"

"Who did you kill?"

"...A man who claimed to be my father."

"Interesting, I may have something for you. Do you have anyone close to you other than your sister?"

"No, people are despicable, I want nothing to do with them anymore. I only care for her."

"I need you to leave her, and you can't tell her where you're going, do you understand? I will take care of her myself."

"You will?"

"So what makes you think I'm not despicable?"

"You are despicable, but I've run out of options."

"Good, then we see eye-to-eye. You're clever for your age, how old are you?"

"Do we have a deal or not?"

"Right. Very well, pack your lack of belongings, ditch your sister, and we will begin, Crimson Butterfly."

...

"So who are you now?"

"I don't know"

"What are you going to do?"

"The day the Crimson Butterfly wars against the Crimson Rose, history will change."

"So are you the Crimson Butterfly?"

"I don't know."

"Then you will lose."

"How do I find who I am?"

"Quit doing it alone."

"I don't need anyone else."

"Is that why you joined them?"

"Shut up, I don't know who you are."

"I'm part of you, so who are you?"

...

"I've been waiting for you."

"Of course, here I am," Acacia said, holding her blade in hand.

"So you're ready to end this?" Violet asked as she drew her own katana. A black blade with a black handle wrapped in a crimson thread, a crimson rose etched on the blade near the tsuba.

"Are you?" Acacia asked.

"No, I don't think you're ready to be honest," Violet responded. "You don't even know what you are, it's why I'm Donny's favorite. I know my role."

"Your role? You mean on a leash with his other bitches?" Acacia said.

Violet giggled. "I've been called worse."

They stood at the edge of Addam's Ravine. It was a massive canyon at the north edge of civilization. On the other side was a mountain range called the Jin Mountains. The unknown land on the other side was simply called "Architect's Land", simply because no one knew what was on the other side. It was too costly to try to cross through. However now it would serve as the first true battle between the Experimental Soldier Program, the Crimsons.

https/youtu.be/HgknAaKNaMM

"Enough talk?" Violet asked.

"Agreed."

They held their blades up in sync as they eyed each other. Acacia stared into the purple eyes of the only person that mattered to her. Today, on this day, she'd kill the only reason she lived this long. Was she even sure she wanted to do this? Hell, she didn't even know herself. This isn't what she wanted, but this was how history decided to turn its pages, so it would end here. All of the pain, the drinks, the tears, the failures, they meant nothing, because it was about to end.

"So what are you going to do?"

"Win."

"I am ready," she decided.

Before anyone could have even seen, their blades slammed into each other, immediately throwing trees into the air. They moved quickly, slashing faster than any mortal man could see, narrowly dodging and parrying every single swipe. Do or die, step-by-step, breath-to-breath, they clashed before throwing themselves back.

"Petals of Pain!" Violet shouted before slashing a wave of ether rose petals at Acacia.

"Wings of Blood!" Acacia shouted before blocking them with Crimson Butterfly wings that appeared in front of her.

Violet immediately shot through, breaking her Wings of Blood and knocking Acacia to the ground.

"You still don't even get it, do ya sis?" Violet asked. "I know who I am, and here you are, broken beyond repair."

"That may be true, but we broke together, you never fixed yourself either, that's what makes this so hard," Acacia replied.

Violet giggled. "When I kill you, I will be made whole, as one, as it should be."

"So that's all I need to become whole? To kill you?" Acacia questioned.

Violet scoffed at her sister. "You make it sound like that'll be easy."

Acacia laughed. "It won't be, but it's definitely doable."

"Then quit holding back!"

"Winged Blades!" Acacia shouted as she became surrounded in ether and she rushed her sister.

Violet quickly moved as their blades once again met with intense ferocity.

"Beauty in Thorns!" Violet said as her blade shot out a multitude of thorns, pelting Acacia with ether damage.

"Ah!" Acacia shouted before gritting her teeth and tearing through the pain.

Acacia's very steps began uprooting the grass. Violet giggled before slamming her foot on the ground, causing a shock wave that made Acacia stumble.

"Leaves of Suffering," Violet uttered as ether vines, covered in leaves, sprouted from the ground and impaled Acacia throughout her body.

"Now die!" Violet shouted as she drove her sword down through her sister.

Acacia, quickly moved, taking the sword to her hip, it did physical damage this time, and she began bleeding profusely. She slashed back and Violet was forced to jump back.

Acacia, covered in blood and in terrible pain, stood up once again to face Violet.

"Still?!" Violet retorted. "Why?! What do you even have left to fight for, just DIE!!"

Violet slashed aggressively at Acacia, who was forced to drop to one knee and parry Violet's attacks repeatedly.

Acacia yelped in pain as she tried to stop every attack, her focus, her skill, it diminished as Violet brought her sword down and shattered the Crimson Butterfly into nothing.

The sheer energy from the destruction of this sword was enough to blow Violet through four trees, finally stopping at one. The last tree, a very large puzzletree, fell down, completely uprooted.

Acacia was blown into Addam's Ravine, left to fall to her death.

"So did you find out who you were?"

"How could I have? I was given no answer!" Acacia argued.

"Well part of you has come to help you, be safe, and learn from her."

"I... don't understand what you're saying."

"You don't need to, but one day, you will. And on that day, you will become the true Crimson Butterfly."

And at this moment, while falling, Acacia lost consciousness.

...

"Where do you think you're going KOS-MOS?"

"Life signs critical, I am taking her to receive medical treatment," KOS-MOS replied. "I advise you to do the same."

T-Elos laughed. "My driver can wait, I'm going to tear apart your pathetic existence first."

KOS-MOS stopped to run some analyses. After deciding on the most correct action, she set Acacia down before summoning her own blade weapon.

"New objective prioritized, defeat T-Elos," she stated.

"Good, now that we're on the same page...," T-Elos said before her large purple and black scythe appeared in her hand. "Let's end this."

https/youtu.be/OS-UjCmrJh0

"I must warn you though," KOS-MOS added as her weapon began charging. "Without our drivers, I am far superior to you."

"Oh spare me the theatrics," T-Elos sighed, rolling her eyes. "Since when has your existence ever mattered?"

"Since you stepped in between my driver and I," KOS-MOS finished.

KOS-MOS fired a blast out of her ether cannon, to which T-Elos swiftly dodged. T-Elos sprinted towards KOS-MOS, slashing at her with the scythe. KOS-MOS jumped backwards, landing on her hands before backflipping back on her feet. T-Elos's scythe left a huge gash in the ground.

KOS-MOS extended her R-Blade from her wrist and lunged at T-Elos, chopping a lock of her hair. T-Elos jump-kicked KOS-MOS back before slamming her scythe into the ground in front of KOS-MOS. She then spun around the scythe's handle as she kicked KOS-MOS square in the jaw. T-Elos then extended her own R-Blade, slashing at KOS-MOS.

KOS-MOS parried the blade before shifting her other hand into her R-Cannon. She aimed at T-Elos, who pulled a pistol and shot directly into KOS-MOS' R-Cannon, causing it to backfire and shoot out ether damage in all directions.

KOS-MOS hit the ground first, and she quickly recovered and lowered the mechanical parts of her heels into the ground, firmly planting herself as her headset came down, shielding her eyes.

"Two people can play at that game KOS-MOS," T-Elos warned as a three metal prongs extended out from her cleavage, and a large red ball of pure ether energy began to grow in size.

"X-Buster," KOS-MOS uttered, not holding back.

"As you wish," T-Elos responded. "U-Teneritas."

KOS-MOS released a large amount of blue ether rays as T-Elos' U-Teneritas tore through them.

"You are inferior KOS-MOS, just give up!" T-Elos yelled.

T-Elos then released another ball of ether energy and blew it into the first, creating an even more powerful burst that tore through the area, destroying everything in its wake.

"Error in logic detected, you've been outmaneuvered," KOS-MOS, who was now behind T-Elos, pointed out before slamming T-Elos into a tree.

"DAMN YOU KOS-MOS!!" she shrieked as she pulled out her pistol.

"Stop T-Elos," another voice interrupted, it was Violet's.

T-Elos, absolutely livid, continued to hold her weapon. "I'll kill her right now!"

"No, you won't. Our mission was completed successfully, we need to head back to Adonis," she continued.

T-Elos sighed before lowering her weapon. "Break the Crimson Butterfly was successful. Leaving as commanded."

"Good," Violet said before coughing up blood and passing out.

KOS-MOS let out a sigh of relief before T-Elos spoke again.

"I will kill you KOS-MOS. That's my duty," she said as a large Titanless ship came down from the sky, making everything hard to hear.

T-Elos picked up Violet's unconscious body and carried her into the ship, where Pyra was waiting. The cargo door closed and they disappeared.

KOS-MOS then looked over to her own driver, but could spend no time tending to her wounds as she heard heavy footsteps, however it sounded as if someone small was carrying something much larger than they could bear.

"H-Help... We need... help!" a tiny voice cried out. "H-He's going to die!"

KOS-MOS turned to see a small, green bird-like creature. At first she thought it was a tirkin, but on closer inspection, she realized that the creature was a blade.

"I can't hold him any longer! Help me!" she cried out.

KOS-MOS soon realized that this little blade was lugging around the body of a male. He was severely injured, barely had a pulse, and was soaking wet in both water and blood.

"New objective prioritized, administering first aid to both drivers," KOS-MOS said before taking the man off the blade's hands. Her immense strength made this a simple task.

"What is your name?" KOS-MOS asked.

"Name?" the blade asked as she took a second to think, as if she'd forgotten her own name. "Oh! Right... uh... I'm Finch!"

"Finch? My name is Kosmos Obey Strategical Multiple Operation System," KOS-MOS replied.

"Oh... thanks System!" Finch replied.

"You are welcome, let us get back to ship, you can rest there." KOS-MOS looked at the man, calculating the odds of his survival. "I will assist in his survival."

Readability Level: 11-12th Grade

Time Taken: 4.5 Hours


	43. Chapter XLIII

Book VI: Prince and Assassin

Chapter XLIII

"Gabriel come out!" Kasandra cried while pounding on his door. "You've been in your room all weekend! I want to spend time with you!"

"Not now Kassy! I'm in the middle of something. I'll get back to you later!" he replied in his usual, proud voice.

"That's what you've said for the past two days!" she retorted.

It went silent for a moment, and Kasandra knew he wasn't going to open the door.

"Is it because of what the lady said?" Kasandra finally said. "About Mom and Dad?"

Kasandra knew Zeke and Mòrag weren't her dad or mom, blades didn't really have families like that, but she had always called them as such because that's what Gabriel did. And, as expected, she was met with silence.

"Gabriel... I'm coming in," Kasandra said, finally making up her mind. It was unlike her to go against her driver's wishes, but in this case she was going to make an exception.

She opened the mechanical door and shut it behind her, the room was completely dark, so she turned on the light. And, just as she had thought, Gabriel was sulking at the foot of his bed. He hadn't changed clothes since the fight with Violet in Alba Cavanich, and his face hadn't been shaven either. She sat down next to him, not saying a word. She gently placed her arm on his back and rubbed it.

"So she wasn't lying after all?" Kasandra queried.

Gabriel shook his head, he had finally lost his composure as his voice cracked. "I didn't think it was possible for Mum to lose a fight... Especially to the point of death. I mean... I knew Dad was really close to kicking that bucket, that's one of the reasons I left. I... didn't want to be around when it finally happened. I always imagined that that was why Mum spent all her time in Garfont helping out the BAP."

"How did you find out it wasn't a lie?" Kasandra asked.

"There was a message sent to the ship, from Dromarch. He... asked me if I wanted to be the one to resonate with Aegaeon," he stopped to chuckle. "Of course... I said no. I... don't need that kind of responsibility."

"There's nothing wrong with that Gabe...," Kasandra said, trying to calm him.

Gabriel shook his head. "It's not just that, I don't take responsibility for anything!"

At this point Kasandra was unsure of what he was referring to.

Gabriel picked up on this and began to explain. "Mor Ardain was Mum's homeland, and something she took great pride in. The way I saw it... the way I left it... there was no pride to be found. It was just people... suffering, and I did nothing to help!"

"That's not our responsibility!" Kasandra argued. "What have we been training to do since we met?"

Gabriel sighed. "To help and protect the Aegis and her driver."

"And we've done that so far, haven't we?!" Kasandra added.

"You're right," Gabriel responded. "I can't afford to be weak right now."

Kasandra smiled at him before she hugged him. "We both knew this day would come, and I'm here for you. We just... had a string of bad luck is all! But I'm the luckiest charm I know, so I guess I just need to try harder!! You with me Prince?"

Gabriel chuckled. "Kassy I'm with you all the way."

"Good," she said simply. "Now go take a shower, shave, and meet us downstairs, you still need to get better acquainted with Sonata, remember?"

"Right, right... can leave the poor girl in suspense, I'll get to it," Gabriel laughed.

Kasandra hopped up cheerfully and pulled her driver to his feet. She then skipped merrily to the door.

"Oh and Kass...," Gabriel said, stopping her.

"Hm?" she stopped.

"Thanks."

She giggled before making a heart with her hands and skipping out the door, shutting it behind her.

Gabriel took a deep breath and looked at himself in the mirror. "Titan's foot," he said, a common slang in Alrest. "I do look a mess."

He chuckled before he stopped and made a solemn swear to himself. "If I ever meet the bastard that killed them, I'm holding him accountable."

...

"She still hasn't woken up yet?" Sheba asked me.

"No, she took one hell of an ether beating though, not to mention that bleeding gash in her hip," I pointed out.

"And what of the other peon? The stranger," Sheba continued.

"He hasn't woken up either, both of his calves were shattered to nothing, and his lungs have a lot of water in them. I'm not sure he'll make it at this rate," I said.

"Water? We can help with that," Sheba said as she stepped out of her floating bath tub, stretching her hand out to help her water counterpart step out.

"Can she absorb water or something?" I asked, curious as to what they were doing.

Sheba picked him up by his ankles and lifted him up and the water spirit began repeatedly punching him in the chest until he coughed up a bunch of water.

She then dropped him and got back in her bathtub before laughing. "No, that's stupid fiction magic, we just know how lungs work."

I wasn't sure how to react, but the man was breathing much easier now. "Oh... well ok then."

"Glad you're healing up though!" Sheba said, and up until this point I had completely forgotten that I was unconscious just a few days back.

"I guess we can't keep people healthy around here," I said, laughing nervously.

We went silent as Acacia grumbled in her sleep before waking up and standing normally.

"What's going on here?" she asked.

Her injuries were severe, much too severe for her to just stand up like that...

I immediately walked over to her and examined her hip, the gash that was there when KOS-MOS brought her to us was completely gone.

"Uhh... hell if I know," I responded.

"Where's Malos?" she asked.

Sheba and I looked at each other, she was just as confused as I was.

"Are you... feeling alright?" I questioned.

She gave me a weird look. "Yeah? Why?"

"Because you weren't alright a few hours ago!" Sheba interjected.

Acacia seemed even more confused before she sighed. "Look, if this is about the story I told you, leave it. I got over that years ago."

"That's not what I—" I began to say before she cut me off with another question.

"Who's this?" she asked, pointing to the stranger KOS-MOS had brought in.

I wanted to ask her more questions, but another, much more authoritative voice took control of the situation. "We don't know yet, he was dying and needed our help, much like you were. How the hell are you standing?" Mythra interrogated as she walked into the room.

Acacia rolled her eyes. "I don't know what game you guys are playing, but I have no idea what you're talking about. So if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go find Malos."

And with that, she left the room.

"Whatever," Mythra said before turning to me. "Silas where the hell are we going next?"

I thought for a moment, I wasn't sure. "Well with the random stranger here I don't really want to go back to Leftheria. And he might need to go to a hospital at this rate."

"The best one is in Torna from what I hear," Sheba pointed out.

"We're not... actually allowed there anymore," Mythra admitted.

Sheba looked shocked. "What'd you two do?!"

"Oh... I forgot you were still in a crystal," I realized. "We blew up part of the BCCHQ escaping General Adonis."

"What the hell?!" she said, taken aback.

"Yeah and now he's wanted for stealing a core crystal," Mythra added.

"Wait... you stole Mythra?!" Sheba asked.

I laughed. "No! The BCC tried to steal her from me, I broke in and got her back."

"So even with her power you couldn't beat some old General? Even with Pyra... I've never even seen you come close to losing to her Mythra!" Sheba pointed out.

"I was still learning how to be a driver, so I wasn't even using Mythra's arts at full capacity," I explained.

"And he was using his own weapons and not fighting as drivers and blades are supposed to," Mythra added again.

"Although he was definitely no joke...," I thought to myself. I wondered why he was so powerful, but I also knew that between the lot of us, there was no way he'd win.

...

"So everything went according to plan?" he asked his subordinate.

"Yes, Pyra was unable to take on Mythra, as you predicted," Violet reported. "And the Crimson Butterfly has been shattered."

"Good," General Adonis responded. "And have you confirmed the location of that damned titan?"

"Very impressive Lieutenant," Adonis mused. "If there's nothing else you need, then you are dismissed."

Violet stood thoughtfully for a moment, before she spoke. "Actually General, there is one thing..."

"You want your sister's rank, I presume?" Adonis asked, seeing right through her.

She blushed a bit before responding. "Y-Yes General, I hope it does not seem selfish."

Adonis smiled at her before turning away. "You know you've come a long way since we met. Do you remember that day?"

Violet looked down and nodded. "Very clearly."

...

"Hey mister, you like you could use a good time," the young woman asked him.

"You're absolutely correct, but I suspect you would require payment for your services, am I correct?" he questioned.

She nodded. "Gotta pay the bills somehow!"

"I see," he nodded. "And what would ten thousand G get me?"

She let out a gasp, she'd never even heard of someone giving up that amount of money for a prostitute.

"You new to these parts?" she interrogated.

"Sweetheart this is nothing new for me," he grinned.

She seemed skeptical. "Show me the money and you've got forty-eight hours of whatever the hell you want."

Forty-eight hours was way more than she was comfortable with, but she wasn't about to miss out on that much money. And odds were he didn't even have that kind of money.

To her complete shock, he casually held out a large sack of G, clearly the amount he promised.

She took a moment to compose herself before sighing. "A deal's a deal."

That night, he didn't actually do anything to her. Instead he invited her to look at a special operation of the BCC, a project, called the Crimson Rose.

"If you were to go through with this, you'd never worry about money again, and on top of that... you'll have strength men only dream of."

She looked skeptical. "How do I know you're not just screwing me over or offering me something that's going to ruin me for the rest of my life?"

He smiled. "You are much more clever than your sister. I know you'll survive because she survived, and I personally believe you'll be stronger than her."

Violet was taken aback. "So you didn't just choose me randomly!"

He smiled, "No, I've been watching over you in her stead, and I've decided that you're strength is much greater than hers."

Violet seemed pissed. "So you let me live these last years in agony as you simply watched?! I don't think that justifies itself as 'watching over someone'."

"Don't blame me," Adonis said, shrugging. "Your sister didn't exactly give me permission to go near you, talk to her if you're concerned. I simply tire of watching you suffer, so how about you suffer one more time to never have to do so again?"

Violet wasn't sure how to proceed, but she was tired... tired of life. "You've seen my scars, you know I won't live forever."

Adonis smiled, "This will help you heal, it will keep you from dying."

That day, Violet signed her life away to become the Crimson Rose. Not only for herself, but also to be stronger than her sister. She had developed hatred for Acacia, and after this conversation, the hatred soared ever higher.

...

"And stronger you have become," Adonis continued. "So, as a recognition of your strength, I have decided to promote you through the ranks. Congratulations, Colonel Violet Uzuki."

Violet nodded solemnly, "I thank you for this chance, and I will not fail you."

Adonis smiled the same smile he's always given her. "Reports show that Canaan is alive, is this correct?"

"Yes, he resonated with a blade that saved him and brought him to our targets, although T-Elos reported a low chance of survival. Would you like us to go drop that percent?"

"Negative, it's time I put these dogs in their place. Please tell Pyra to collect herself, we have work to do."

"Understood, General."

Readability Level: 11-12th Grade

Time Taken: 4.5 Hours


	44. Chapter XLIV

Book VI: Prince and Assassin

Chapter XLIV

https/youtu.be/lykRkuYOwnc

"Your MO is different this time, Malos," Mythra had asked him. "What are you trying to do?"

Malos could feel the intensity in the air, he looked to the sky and back to the ground. The buildings around him were far more ancient than those of the capitals around Alrest today. Where was this memory from?

"If this is a joke, it's not funny," Mythra continued.

Malos shrugged. "I got bored of it," he replied simply.

"...Bored?" Mythra asked, clearly not understanding what he meant.

Malos looked around, what was this place? He'd obviously been there before, hence this memory.

"Letting Siren have all the fun got old, I mean," Malos clarified. "I wanted to see the humans dance. The dance of death, in the flames of hellfire."

Mythra glared at him. "What do you...?"

"That," Malos said as he turned his head and faced a large tower with a great blue glow coming from the top. "I know full well what the Tornan Titan truly is."

"Torna," Malos now thought to himself. This had happened a millennium ago.

"I've decided... I'm gonna lay that truth bare for everyone to see," Malos continued.

The memories came flooding back to him. He'd used this titan to destroy the Tornan Empire. This is where the first Aegis War happened, where Mythra destroyed an entire titan.

Soon, Malos watched himself fight Addam, Mythra's first driver. He had to admit that she had seemed stronger at this point in time. But soon he picked Addam's brain, curious as always.

"...And you don't understand what humans are," Malos said during the conversation.

"Malos, the all-knowing...," Addam snarked.

"A diligent student, you could say," Malos shot back.

"Then learn this," Addam commanded as Mythra threw him her sword.

This was the first he'd ever seen the Lorathian fighting style. Even at that time he was intrigued. Watching a driver use their blade's weapon was certainly a sight. However he still felt, and said at that time, that he didn't need that. He knew he was more powerful than what any driver could control, including Acacia.

But soon, he was awoken by the sound of a knock.

...

Malos woke up and looked around, he was still on that Tantal ship. He found himself, once again, bored. He then wondered where his Siren was, the giant robot Mythra destroyed with her own Siren those long years ago... probably at the bottom of Morytha if he had to guess.

There was another knock at his door, he had hoped it was in his head, but it appeared that that wasn't so.

"Come in," Malos called.

Acacia opened the door and slipped in, silently closing the door behind her.

Malos looked up at her, his interest piqued. "Look who's finally up, you here to scold me again, of do we have a plan? Or maybe you'd like to get into yet another fight? You really know how to rush towards death at record speeds, you know that?"

https/youtu.be/wgPcl1WJ98Y

Acacia nodded. "Yeah... I guess so."

Malos studied her a minute before speaking. "Not that it really concerns me, but why the long face?"

"I've come to apologize," she explained. "I've been a terrible driver to you and to KOS-MOS."

"I don't see how being sorry fixes anything," Malos said simply.

"It doesn't, not on its own, but I want to start in a new direction," she continued. "I've been so caught up in myself that I failed to realize that I had other responsibilities to take care of."

"What do you hope to accomplish, driver?" Malos asked, seemingly annoyed.

"I hope I can convince you not to lose faith in me," Acacia said. "And if you already have... then I hope you'll give me a second chance to fix the mistakes I've made."

"And what makes you think you deserve a second chance? From what I hear decision-making isn't your strong suit," Malos relied.

Acacia sighed. "I don't, this is why I must at the very least apologize. I'm sorry for not being the driver I should be, and I promise starting right now that I will do everything in my power to change that."

"So what is the plan?" Malos asked, completely changing topic.

Acacia recollected herself before continuing. "We have to wait for the stranger to wake up before continuing."

"So you don't have a plan?" Malos asked. "Rough start to this promise of yours, I suggest you fix it if you intend to keep it. The kid's awake now, go interrogate him, get a plan, and then let's get a move on. I'm bored."

Acacia was furious, but she grit her teeth, nodded, and left.

She closed the door behind her. How did he know if the stranger was awake or not? She turned around mid-thought to meet KOS-MOS face-to-face.

"Do you intend to intend on keeping that promise?" KOS-MOS asked, clearly she had eavesdropped.

"I do," Acacia replied simply.

To her shock, KOS-MOS hugged her.

"KOS-MOS! What is this?" Acacia asked.

"You seemed to require emotional support," KOS-MOS said simply. "I also wish to thank you and hope that you do keep this promise, it will benefit your health and fighting ability greatly."

Acacia laughed a bit. "Thanks KOS-MOS..."

Readability Level: 11-12th Grade

Time Taken: 2.5 Hours


	45. Chapter XLV

Book VI: Prince and Assasin

Chapter XLV

"If I were to disappear, would you forget me?" she asked him.

"What do you mean?" Canaan asked his father's blade.

She looked down nervously before responding. "Like I forget everything all the time... Would you forget me if I disappeared?"

"Of course not Finch!" Canaan reassured. "I promise if you were to disappear, I'd look everywhere for you!"

Finch stared off into the distance blankly.

"You alright, Finch?" Canaan asked her.

Finch blinked and looked back at him. "Why wouldn't I be? Are you alright stranger?"

...

Canaan shot awake, looking around quickly. Immediately the room went blurry and he fell back down. His legs were hurting and it was hard to breathe.

"Woah, easy," a voice said as it ran over to him. "Oh, you're finally awake! Please be careful, I don't know how you actually survived, so don't go killing yourself off already."

Canaan wasn't sure where he was, but he assumed he was safe... for now. "Right... thank you. What's your name?"

"Silas," I replied. "And yours?"

"Canaan," he replied. "Where am I? On a ship?"

I nodded. "You are on a Tantalese ship, parked in the middle of a forest near Addam's Ravine."

Canaan laughed. "So this is how I die, is it? Taken back to the place I wronged... fitting."

"What do you mean?" I questioned.

Canaan sighed. "Don't worry about it. But you're helping a dead man, I recommend you quit trying."

Before I could respond, we were interrupter by someone else.

"Now, that's no way to look at life, eh?" Gabriel said, walking in on the ship. "I'm sure you've still got promises and such to keep, don't ya?"

Canaan sighed again. "And who's this? How many people are on here?"

"Acacia, Rafi, Gabriel, and myself, along with our assorted blades," I responded.

"Acacia? You don't mean...," Canaan started, but he stopped himself. "Never mind, I'm guessing you're Gabriel?"

Gabriel seemed shocked. "Yeah... how'd you know?"

Canaan chuckled. "Acacia's obviously a female's name, Silas is right here, and Rafi sounds like a nopon name."

"Fair enough, you're an intelligent one," Gabriel pointed out.

Acacia walked in behind us. "KOS-MOS said he was awake?"

"How did she know that, she wasn't even in the room," I responded.

"Yeah I've stopped questioning how she works, she's confusing as hell," Acacia sighed.

"You mentioned promises," Canaan said to Gabriel.

"Yeah, what about 'em?" Gabriel asked.

"I promised someone that I'd find and look after her son, Winston Von Genbu," Canaan said aloud. He didn't know why he was telling them this, but he didn't really care anymore.

"Mum... asked you to... what?" Gabriel said, before leaving the room. "I-I have to go."

"Does Gabriel have a brother?" I asked Acacia.

"No... that would imply that Gabe's real name... is... Winston?" Acacia questioned.

We both immediately started laughing.

"I am totally making fun of him later...," Acacia chuckled out.

"Did I say something funny?" Canaan interrogated.

Acacia laughed. "More than you'll ever know. Anyway I guess you don't need to look far, Gabriel's the guy you're looking for."

Kasandra jumped in front of the door, Sonata right behind her. "Guys where did Gabriel go?"

"I don't know, he just left," I said.

She seemed irritated. "Can you guys keep in mind that he was just told that his parents were killed? Try to be more sensitive!" she said before she took off down the hall.

"Kassy wait!" Sonata called, following close behind her.

"Oh... I didn't realize...," I started. "Why didn't he tell us?"

"He probably didn't want to be a burden," Acacia responded. "I can relate."

"POPPI WHY DO YOU HAVE THAT ON?!" Mythra's voice shouted from across the hall.

Confused, we both went to see what was going on.

We turned the corner to see Poppi in a... bunny... costume?

"Rafi! Get down here this instant!" Mythra yelled.

"Ah!" Rafi shouted as he tripped and fell down in the hallway before getting up and running still. "Rafi swear that Rafi didn't know what that was!"

"What do you mean... didn't know?!" Mythra asked.

"Poppi told Rafi that Tora gave Poppi lots of modes, and that Poppi wanted to show Rafi one!" Rafi explained. "Rafi didn't expect this one! Poppi need go back to normal!"

"Poppi not know what wrong with this costume! Costume is super cute!" Poppi said excitedly.

"Yes it's adorable, now please change back into your normal clothes Poppi," Mythra said.

"Roger roger!" Poppi said before going back to their room.

"Can... Rafi get some explanation?" Rafi asked Mythra.

Mythra sighed. "Tora, brilliant as he was, suffered from 'desperate lover's syndrome'," she said sarcastically.

"But what that mean?" Rafi asked.

"He was a pervert," Mythra said bluntly. "He had one of the purest hearts of gold I've ever seen, but when it came to his tastes in females... well between him and his grandfather who designed the original blueprints for Poppi, let's just say they weren't exactly hidden..."

Rafi sighed. "Tora sound more like creep then amazing engineer now..."

Mythra laughed. "Don't think too hard about it, I never really ever saw Tora actually use any of those settings except for one time when he... unfortunately... tried teaching Pyra how to be cute with one of those settings."

...

Canaan finally looked around, more carefully this time, before his eyes locked with a certain small green, bird-looking creature, a blade.

"Finch!" he called out.

"Hello!" she said. "I... don't know who you are."

He laughed. "I'm your driver, I resonated with you the moment before I blacked out."

"Doesn't ring a bell!" Finch continued.

KOS-MOS had entered the room soon after everyone else had left. "You carried him to us," she said.

"I think I'd remember that," Finch reassured.

Canaan laughed. "KOS-MOS, was it? Don't worry about her too much. She's got the 'birdiest' brain if I've ever seen one."

KOS-MOS nodded before leaving.

"Cost most is the most robotic blade I've ever met!" Finch pointed out, obviously having already forgotten her name.

"I'm glad to have you back Finch."

Readability Level: College Student

Time Taken: 2.5 Hours


	46. Chapter XLVI

Book VI: Prince and Assassin

Chapter XLVI

"I don't want to do it," Gabriel said to his blade.

Kasandra stood firm though. "It wasn't a request! You need this, you're going, that's final!"

"Yeesh, when did you get so assertive?" Gabriel asked.

Acacia looked concerned. "Is there a reason you called us here or can I go back to sharpening my sword?"

KOS-MOS started at her blankly, as she always did. "But my data suggests you were napping before this."

"Shut it KOS-MOS," Acacia quickly retorted.

"You two are adorable when you argue," Mythra mocked.

Acacia stared her down. "You shut it too blondie!"

"I find nothing wrong with her hair color!" Sheba added.

"Hey can you guys cut it out already?" I added.

"Shut it Silas!" Mythra and Acacia shouted simultaneously.

I sighed.

"I fell as if maybe we've been cooped up too long...," Sonata pointed out.

"Well, it makes sense," Azami agreed.

"What does?" I asked.

"From what I've heard, you guys have been fighting enemies together but we've all moved so fast that none of you have truly gotten to know each other," Sonata explained. "Now that you're all in close quarters with each other, you can no longer ignore what you don't like about each other. You've begun storming with each other."

"Yeah well maybe it wouldn't be such a big deal if Mythra over here could stay in her own fucking bed!" Acacia shouted.

Mythra was taken aback. "I can't help that I sleepwalk! Keep your door locked and maybe I won't get in!"

Sheba jumped in. "You could always sleep in my bed!" she said with a wink.

"Stay out of this!" Mythra snapped.

"I don't know," Malos antagonized. "Two shameless displays would fit really well together. I think you could make it work."

"Malos I swear to Father I will—"

"Am I interrupting something?" a sudden voice interrupted, taking the steam out of the arguments. It was Canaan.

Mythra sighed. "It's nothing. Did we wake you?"

Finch followed closely behind him, it was kind of cute actually.

"Don't worry about it, although I believe Winston had something to say," Canaan pointed out.

"Please... don't call me that, call me Gabriel," he said.

"As you wish."

Gabriel stopped and stood in thought.

"Well now it's silent, go ahead Gabe," Kasandra urged.

"I want to go to Tantal for my parents' funeral," he said simply. "I know it's selfish... but I need to go see them."

"Why would we say no to that?" I asked, confused. "Of course, we'll go right away."

"I-I'm sorry, thank you," Gabriel said.

Acacia was also confused. "Quit apologizing. For the Architect's sake Gabriel, why would we stop you?"

Gabriel sighed. "My father made it clear to me as a child that I'd need to assist the Aegis' driver, whomever that may be. I guess I've always felt prideful about it. I... feel like I'm abandoning my mission."

"The only way you abandon your mission is by giving up Gabriel," Canaan said. "You're not giving up, you're taking time to heal wounds. You can't fight with no strength."

The rest of us nodded.

"I have already routed the ship," KOS-MOS stated. "If we maintain our current course and speed we will arrive at our destination in seven hours."

"Thanks KOS-MOS," Acacia said.

...

"So how did you know my mom?" Gabriel asked Canaan later.

Canaan sighed. "I only knew her a brief moment before she died, and one day I will tell you the full story, but only after I finish my last mission."

"And what's that?" Gabriel asked.

"I'm going to find General Adonis, and I'm going to kill him," Canaan vowed.

Gabriel laughed. "Well you're hanging with the right crowd, I'm sure we'll cross paths soon. Be prepared though, I've heard he's pretty tough."

Canaan smiled. "Yeah, he is."

...

"Preparations ready?" General Adonis asked Pyra.

"Preparations are complete," she responded with simply as they began boarding a New Tornan ship.

Pyra began staring blankly at New Torna. She looked at the bright emerald-green streets, which paired beautifully with the golden buildings that layered this giant city. She gazed on the vessels below, moving on the streets at rapid speeds. Everything was so methodical, so man-made.

"One day this could all be yours," Adonis said.

"General?" Pyra asked, unsure of what he was talking about.

"One day I will find out what drives you, where your power lays, and then, this'll all be ours. Wouldn't that be nice?" he asked sincerely.

Pyra began to think. If she could inherit all of this, would that give her more freedom? Could she leave the confines of her room and enjoy her time? Would it mean she didn't have to answer to his beckoning call every second of the day. If that's what he meant, then there was nothing she wanted more. However, at the same time, she felt like she couldn't live without him, what would she even do? She needed him.

"I would like that very much," she said simply.

"You know I love you, yes?" Adonis cooed sincerely.

Pyra nodded and smiled. "Yes, and I love you as well General."

"Good, then let's go to Tantal, after all, we can't miss the funeral!"

Pyra laughed a bit. "Then let us go, we'll show them our strength for real this time."

Readability Level: 11-12th Grade

Time Taken: 1.5 Hours


	47. Chapter XLVII

Book VI: Prince and Assassin

Chapter XLVII

"Thanks for helping earlier Canaan, we're lucky to have found you," Kasandra said to Canaan privately later.

"Are you alright, Kasandra?" he asked.

"Yeah, normally I'm much more chippy, but when he gets nervous, I do too and it's just a lot...," she complained.

Canaan smiled, "he needs someone like you. I had someone just like what you are to him. If he's doing something that worries you, then you have to step in and take care of him. That's your responsibility as his blade.

Kasandra sighed. "It's so hard sometimes though. I'd rather be my happy-go-lucky self than upfront."

"No one likes confrontation," Canaan said, shaking his head. "But if you don't ever make any noise, you won't ever be heard."

"Right," Kasandra agreed. "Thanks again."

...

We soon arrived at Tantal, which was on the exact opposite side of the continent from where we were.

We hadn't been to Tantal in forever, but it hadn't changed much outside of the atmosphere of the people.

It was already cold, as the Tantal area was always strangely cold, but the coldness I really felt was in the attitude of the people. King Zeke Von Genbu was a beloved king and Queen Mòrag Ladair Von Genbu was highly respected as the first Ardanian Queen, however this happened five hundred years ago and the love, respect, and admiration for these two that gave their all to give Alrest a new start has long since diminished.

The streets were lined with people holding signs saying things like "End the Monarchy" and "Down with the Monarchy, I am no one's subject!" They were also slandering anyone who disagreed with them.

"Why are they so hateful?" Mythra asked Gabriel.

"Do any of you know Tantal's history before my dad became king?"

Most of us shook our heads, but Mythra seemed to immediately understand.

Gabriel noticed this and nodded. "After the First Aegis War, Addam Origo, Mythra's first driver, disappeared without a trace. His uncle, High Prince Zettar was left the remaining survivors of Torna," Gabriel explained. "He made a deal with Praetor Amalthus, Malos' first driver, in exchange for a large amount of core crystals every year, he'd hold up a lie of being a descendent of Addam, whom the people adored. This, paired with grieving people, gave birth to the Kingdom of Tantal on a foundation of lies."

"However," Mythra continued. "Tantal's titan, Genbu, became extremely cold due to the excessive core crystal collection. Ether is the very blood of a titan, and core crystals are created inside titans, and taking the amount caused Genbu to go to the verge of death."

"Why didn't Praetor Amalthus stop taking core crystals?!" I questioned.

"Amalthus was evil beyond belief, and his goals were selfish," Mythra explained. "When Zeke found out about his history of lies, and the final explanation on why his knowledge of Addam varied so greatly from ours, he snapped."

Gabriel continued, "When Zeke took the throne, he abolished these lies in the new land of Elysium. With the truth out and Amalthus dead and plenty of land on the new continent of Elysium, he gave Tantal a new chance at being something more than a lie. However media here in Tantal began pointing out all of these lies that Zeke had set straight, and the people have become increasingly cynical towards his rule."

"Sounds like an Adonis attack if you ask me," Acacia pointed out.

"No doubt," Gabriel agreed. "But with no real evidence, Dad couldn't really pick him out for it."

A squeal echoed out and around Theoscaldia as speakers went live.

"Attention people of Theoscaldia, the funeral procession will begin in thirty minutes, if you will please clear the roads as Queen Mòrag's body is brought through. Despite how you may feel about monarchy, we would implode you to show respect during this time of mourning," it said before the speakers cut out.

Gabriel disappeared without a word, and Sonata and Kasandra with him. I turned and realized Mythra was walking off as well, so I followed her.

She went up the stairs and out towards a balcony in plain view of the road, so I stood beside her, silently.

https/youtu.be/Kh2JI18ByvU

She sighed for a moment as we watched the sun begin to set, the orange rays filling the sky in a bright contrast with the falling snow. It was gorgeous.

"I don't know what to do," she said aloud. "Zeke and Mòrag, these were my friends. Just like Addam, Lora, Jin, and they all die. I have to watch it again and again. It doesn't matter what I do, whether I sink a titan or save the world, the people I love will always die, and I'll be left... alone, once again."

I said nothing, I didn't know what to say.

"For those five hundred years I was asleep... the five hundred years after I tore apart Torna... Those were some of the loneliest years of my life, I spent each slept day with Pyra in a dream world we created. One of Elysium, one of home, with Father. The last five hundred years... after Rex, those were filled with beautiful rest. I wasn't sad, I was waiting on someone else. And still he hasn't come... I've been patient... I suppose it doesn't hurt to wait longer. But even Father died, and even when I find Waylon again, he'll eventually die, and I'll be left alone... again. I don't even have Pyra anymore..."

I sighed, what could I say?

She broke down into tears. "Brighid was my best friend and I watched her die, right in front of me! I watched her first driver die. He died in the Torna incident, the one I caused. I watched Addam cry... He was always such a crybaby... but those tears... they felt different! And Milton too..." Her voice began choking and I rubbed her back. "And now Mòrag died and I wasn't even there! Why did Addam teach me the value of human life?! They just die! And I'm left alone... I'm always alone..."

"Is that why you treat me the way you do?" I finally asked.

"What?" she questioned, confused.

I continued. "You were always smiling, understanding, but it all felt fake. Like you weren't being real with me. Only occasionally do you truly get irritated or annoyed and then I see emotion you seem to try to hide."

Mythra sighed, tears still streaming down her face. "I... yeah... I'm scared to get close, because you're going to die one day, and I'll once again be left on my own..."

I wrapped her in a hug. "Mythra I can't promise I won't ever die, but I want you to know that it's not healthy to live in fear, I want to be the driver you want me to be, but please, I need you to give me your all as well. Do you think this is why you've been running out of power so quickly in battle?"

Mythra sobbed. "I don't know why that's happening... but you're right. I lived in fear of myself for so long... I refuse to go back. But now the fear's different, the fear of losing those close to me..."

She looked like she wanted to say more, but we were interrupted by a carriage with two beasts, ponio, to be exact, pulling it. Ponio were new beasts discovered only a few years ago and revolutionized how we used animals, as they were fast and could carry lots of weight. However this was hardly the time to marvel at them.

The carriage pulled was made of wood, and it creaked and rustled it's way through Theoscaldia, it... almost felt haunted. An unsettling feeling rushed over me, as I knew what it meant, Mòrag's body had arrived.

...

"What do you mean we've got no one to perform music at the funeral?!" Gabriel said, irritated.

"I'm sorry my Prince, no one offered to fill that position!" the funeral director explained. "All our greatest musicians go to New Torna to record professional albums!"

Gabriel wanted to say more, but he was interrupted by a loud "ahem". He turned to see Sonata behind him.

"Oh, Sonata. What's up?" he greeted informally.

She shrugged in a very sarcastic way, which only confused him more. She rolled her eyes. "You have a blade that can mimic any amount of noises and instruments at any time."

Gabriel realized what she meant by that. "You would do that for me?"

Sonata rolled her eyes again. "Listen here buddy, I'm your blade! I'm here to help you just as much as it's your responsibility to care for me! Do you understand?"

Gabriel was taken aback a bit. "I—"

Sonata cut him off. "I know you're going through a rough time, and I understand that. That's why I'm offering, I will perform for your parents' funeral."

Gabriel nodded. "I can't thank you enough, Sonata."

"You can start by actually taking the time to get to know me! Got it?! I want to be taken out for dinner! And bring Kasandra too, she misses you as well!" Sonata demanded.

Gabriel nodded. "You have my word, and I apologize for not doing so sooner."

Sonata nodded back. "Glad we reached an understanding. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to warmup my voice."

https/youtu.be/TV0uYFPEkks

Sonata left the area, and Gabriel heard the sound of ponio hooves and creaking wood, and turned to see the carriage carrying his mother.

The wood was gypsum wood, a certain variety that could only be found in Tantal. It has been sanded and polished by a carpenter of esteemed skill and every detail of this carriage was fashioned to show the life of the person inside. Outside of it were little decorations of Brighid and Aegaeon, her two most well-known blades. It showed Malos, Rex, and Pyra, having aided them in the Second Aegis War. It showed Zeke Von Genbu, her husband and a huge step for the history of Alrest itself.

The carriage was pulled right past Gabriel and came to a stop and he looked at the back of it. What he saw made him cry right there on the spot. It was a picture of him, as a baby, laying in his mother's arms with his father nearby. There was a quote on top, a final message, a letter to him. He couldn't help but here her Ardanian accent as he read it.

"My son, if you can read this, then I'm so sorry. I hope you don't feel as though I've failed you for this, as it was not my intention. Please understand that every light of life will fade one day, and it so happens to be that this was the time that mine finally did so. I spent many years battling, I never once thought I'd ever settle down and just live. I often believed that I'd never find that serenity of life other's seemed to enjoy so much. I had always taken it as it was my duty to help ensure that other's had that right of a calm life, and that because I defended it, I was not allowed to have it. But things change, and so did my heart. In the many years I have lived, I have seen every continent. I've been up past Alrest's atmosphere, I've seen every continent, traveled every land, I had seen every sight this world could possibly offer me. However, nothing was as breathtaking to me as when I looked upon your smiling face. You are my son, destined for greatness and a loving heart. Please, never forget that and know that I will always love you. I love you Winston, do great things. And one day... I hope you too will experience what it's like to witness a mother's love, just as Zeke has. Goodbye my son, fight for what's right."

Gabriel tenderly placed his hand on the wood of the carriage as he laid his head against it. "I'll miss you Mom," he said, and then, he took the time to cry.

Readability Level: 11-12th Grade

Time Taken: 4 Hours


	48. Chapter XLVIII

Book VI: Prince and Assassin

Chapter XLVIII

"There are only a few days left until the funeral," the commander explained to the Helios Trinity, the BAP's top blade team. "I need you three to be there."

"Dromarch, is there any specific reason you want us to be there? What are we looking for?" Agate questioned.

"I'm not sure myself," Dromarch replied. "Odds are General Adonis himself will be there to sway the people his way, however I'm also certain all three Aegises will be there as well. It's your job to keep anything detrimental to our mission from happening."

"And what of the prince?" Percival asked.

"I want you to talk with him if you believe he will do anything rash," Dromarch explained.

"Very well," Corvin acknowledged. "Helios Trinity, move. We have our mission."

They left with haste to Tantal, leaving Dromarch to think to himself. However he was soon interrupted with a large crashing noice outside. He quickly went to check on what was causing the commotion.

He left the building to see three blades on the ground. The members of the Merry Band of Misfits, Floren, Nim, and Electra.

"What are you three doing?" Dromarch interrogated.

They stood up extremely quickly and Floren addressed him.

"W-Well y-you see we... really wanted to... ask if we could...," Floren said, choking on his anxiety.

"WE REALLY WANNA GO ON A REAL MISSION!" Electra shouted.

All three then stood still, looking at him as a children looks at his parents after asking to go over to a friend's house.

Dromarch sighed. "I have thought long and hard and believe you three might have luck with one mission."

Floren immediately whined. "That's so unfair! Everyone else gets to go missions why can't— Wait did you say yes?"

Dromarch nodded. "I would like you three to conduct reconnaissance on Juliani in Argentum. Do you think you can handle it?"

Floren recomposed himself. "Yes sir! We will get all the information we can!"

Nim spoke up behind him. "Is there any specific information you're looking for?"

"None in particular, just please be careful and come back in one month's time," Dromarch explained. "Any other questions?"

"Not that I can think of," Floren said.

"Good, you leave at 18:00, please prepare," Dromarch commanded before leaving.

Soon all three of them were busily packing away, excited about their new mission.

"I can't believe we get to go on a mission!" Electra squealed with delight as she picked up her bag and began walking off.

"Don't forget the map!" Floren pointed out.

Electra realized she had almost made the same mistake again before quickly grabbing the map and tucking it away in her bag.

"We have to be extra careful," Floren warned. "It's time to prove that the Merry Band of Misfits can do their job! We just to need to gather any information we can find on Juliani and her staff. We don't need to do anything extra!"

Electra and Nim nodded solemnly.

"Then let's go!" Floren exclaimed as they both left and got onto the vehicle towards Argentum.

...

"Why are you sending them?" Aegaeon asked Dromarch as they watched their ship leave off.

"Those three have the strongest bonds of any blades we have in our arsenal, I suppose I just really want to see them succeed," Dromarch explained.

"Well, if you put your trust in them then I see no reason to doubt you."

Dromarch nodded. "Now let us pray that their mission is a complete success."

Readability Level: 11-12th Grade

Time Taken: 1 Hour


	49. Chapter XLIX

Book VI: Prince and Assassin

Chapter XLIX

The funeral was pure melancholy. Sonata's song was absolutely beautiful, and the service was very respectable. Even the people who hated the monarchy system showed their respects, easing my spirits. What's more, the Helios Trinity watched from the back, letting us take our guard down during this. After Zeke and Mòrag were finally laid into the ground, people began leaving, and soon it was just us left.

Perceval, the blade from the Helios Trinity, approached Gabriel, wanting to have a brief word.

"Hello, my prince," he greeted formally.

"Hey Perceval," Gabriel replied glumly. "And please, any friend of my mother is a friend of mine, you can call me Gabe."

"I have a matter to discuss, a... testimony, if you will," Perceval offered.

Gabriel nodded. "Please share."

Perceval paused before continuing. "In my data, my very core crystal, is a killer. A merciless judge who assaulted any that I deemed guilty."

Gabriel stopped him. "If you're offering to take revenge, there is no need. I will do so on my own."

Perceval shook his head. "No, I'm warning you. Something I was taught, taking the law into your own hands, killing someone through your own judgement. That's not what a hero should do. Let him live, but let him live out his punishment. I have learned that this is the true proper way to punish criminals, living to understand and be punished for their crimes, to allow them to understand that the entire world knows of their crimes, is truly the most merciless punishment for those who violate others."

Gabriel stopped, not really sure how to respond. He put his hand on Perceval's shoulder. "Thanks, friend."

Right after this exchange, Kasandra bursted through the door, before stopping nervously and apologizing.

"Don't be so nervous silly," Sonata teased. "You're not great at confrontation you know."

Kasandra blushes before shaking her head. "Something's happening outside!"

Gabriel headed out first, with us right behind him. We arrived in the center of town to hear a voice over the microphone followed by large cheers.

"We will end the monarchy, and in return I shall bring my influence to enrich all of your lives with New Tornan technology!"

"What's going on?" I asked, but I caught the look on Acacia's face, and I knew who it was.

Adonis smiled as Pyra stood confidently behind him. "Are you all ready to end the corruption that comes with monarchy? We will step into a new light! A new future! For all of Tantal!"

"My parents did nothing wrong!" Gabriel shouted from the crowd.

"You tell him Gabe!" Rafi cheered on.

"Go go Gabriel!" Poppi added on, doing a cute little clumsy twirl.

Adonis smiled, and I noticed Canaan looking nervous.

"Even if they didn't, you're destined to take the throne, aren't you Prince Winston Gabriel von Genbu?"

"Of course, they are counting on me to lead these people to greatness!" Gabriel replied.

"This is bad Silas!" Mythra warned me.

"We need to get out of here, now!" Sheba added.

"What's going on?" I asked them.

Azami giggled. "You are so oblivious for someone so adorable," she said, flirtatiously as always.

"How can you say you want what's best when all you want is war, Prince Von Genbu?" Adonis asked convincingly, as if in a debate.

"What in the bloody hell are you getting at, General?" Gabriel questioned.

Acacia pushed through the crowd to meet us, KOS-MOS right behind her.

"You guys aren't safe we need to move now," she demanded.

"Will someone explain what's going on?!" I questioned.

"Currently in your company you harbor a criminal who stole the prototype for Pyra, a being capable of destroying continents, the traitorous former Colonel from the BCC and her blade, and the murderer of your parents," Adonis accused.

"That blade has a core crystal just like Pyra's!" a male citizen shouted, pointing out Mythra.

"Yeah! And that girl's the Colonel," a female citizen added.

"Detecting an increase in hostility in our surrounding area, caution advised," KOS-MOS stated.

"Glad you caught on...," Acacia said sarcastically.

Gabriel seemed aggravated. "What do you mean 'my parent's murderer'?!"

Adonis let out a laugh as he shook his head. "Is that how you intended to cover this up? Pretend you have no idea what I'm talking about?"

Gabriel looked confused.

"Come on, it's time to go," the female member of the Helios Trinity, the rock blade Agate, recommended as she started moving us out of the crowd.

Adonis sighed. "You hired Canaan, a known assassin, to kill your parents and ascend the throne. I can't believe someone like you would do this, your parents must already be rolling in their graves."

I grabbed Gabriel's hand and pulled him along.

"We gotta move NOW," I insisted.

"Don't let them escape!" people began shouted.

Mythra made her green core crystal and headband glow intensely. "Stay back! Or I'll sink the continent!"

They immediately stopped pursuing us and just watched us carefully.

We all retreated into the palace, locking the door behind us and making our way down into the depths, as far away from the entrance as possible.

Poppi began doing a headcount and Acacia began planning an escape route back to the ship. The Helios Trinity kept watch over the doors.

Gabriel immediately grabbed Kasandra's hammer and slammed Canaan against the wall.

"You tell me right now, and you answer honestly, did you kill them?" Gabriel demanded.

Acacia groaned. "Not right now! Adonis lies all the time, we need to move!"

"No," Canaan argued. "I did. It was me."

Gabriel let him go and took a few steps back. "You... You knew the whole time! How dare you even show up here?!"

"Gabriel calm down!" Kasandra cried out.

Gabriel changed at that moment. He wasn't someone I recognized anymore. ...He terrified me.

https/youtu.be/5w4bOYDNypc

"Raise your sword, assassin."

Canaan's expression didn't change. "I vowed to your parents I would protect you."

Gabriel couldn't even contain his rage. "DON'T TALK TO ME ABOUT MY PARENTS, RAISE YOUR ARCHITECT DAMNED SWORD!"

Canaan nodded and motioned Finch to come behind him. He pulled out Finch's great hammer and held it up.

Gabriel did the same with Kasandra's club.

"Gabriel you're scaring me!" Kasandra whimpered out.

"Get ready Kass," Gabriel ordered.

Kasandra was too scared to confront him, so she held up her arms and connected the ether link between them. Finch did the same.

"You will die by my hand!" Gabriel shouted.

"I fell to neither Zeke nor Mòrag, both of which were exponentially stronger than you, you hold no chance Gabe," Canaan argued.

Gabriel was only more enraged by this.

"May the gates of Morytha open wide for you, Canaan," Gabriel stated.

Gabriel immediately charged through, slamming into Canaan and launching him in the air. He then jumped into the air and slammed the club into him again, smashing him into the ground.

Canaan's injuries hadn't completely healed from when we found him, he wasn't going to hold up well.

I wanted to step in, but Acacia stopped me. I understood why, but it pissed me off.

The raw power of that attack put Gabriel's emotion on display. While blade weapons and prowess came from a bond between blade and driver, the driver's pure emotion could also increase the power of a driver's attack.

The ether line in between Kasandra and Gabriel turned gold as their affinity maxed.

"Get up Canaan! I don't want to forget you again!" Finch shouted.

This seemed to invigorate Canaan, as he stood up and fought back. He went to hit Gabriel, but Gabriel slammed his club handle onto the ground and shielded the attack. Canaan jumped back and pulled his gun, shooting off explosive rounds. Kasandra jumped in front and used her shield to protect Gabriel.

"I didn't want to kill them Gabriel!" Canaan shouted.

"LIES!" Gabriel retorted as he swung through the air.

Finch jumped in front of Canaan, trying to shield him, but Gabriel broke through Finch's ether shield and slammed Finch into a wall.

Canaan ran at him, swinging from the left. However Gabriel jumped back, allowing Canaan to miss, but be left open by the sheer momentum. Gabriel then tucked down and let up a diagonal swipe from under, hitting Canaan square in the ribs and knocking him to the ground.

Gabriel went to slam his hammer down on Canaan's head, but Finch slid and used her ether shield to block the attack. It succeeded, but another hit like that would've broken through Finch's defenses.

Canaan threw Finch out of the way, pulled his sword, and sliced quickly at Gabriel, nicking his side.

This pissed Gabriel off more than anything else and Gabriel responded by passing the club to Kasandra, who covered herself in a dark aura as she hit his sword, shattering it to pieces. She then knocked Finch's hammer from Canaan's hands.

"He's defenseless! It's over!" Kasandra said nervously.

"Hand me the weapon Kasandra," Gabriel demanded.

"What?! No! You'll kill him!" Kasandra argued.

"JUST DO IT!" Gabriel shouted as Kasandra whimpered.

She wrapped her body around her weapon, whimpered, and shook her head.

Gabriel sighed. "Sonata, your turn."

Sonata was concerned, but she was a newer blade, and more prone to following her driver's instruction to the letter than Kasandra.

She passed Gabriel her microphone dagger, which extended into a hand and a half double-edged sword as he held it. It also engulfed itself in fire, as she was a fire blade.

Gabriel began approaching Canaan, finally ready to end his life. Canaan seemed ready to accept his fate.

The glow of the sword illuminated the area between them. Gabriel raised the sword, preparing for the final blow. The blow that would avenge his parents.

However before he struck, Kasandra put herself between them.

"Get out of the way, Kasandra!" Gabriel ordered.

Kasandra squinted and flinched, but she didn't move.

"Kassy move!" Gabriel said again. "Is your hearing broken?!"

Kasandra shoved him back. "YOU'RE BROKEN!"

Gabriel wasn't sure what to say, but he looked pissed.

"I'm not moving! You're not yourself right now, and it's my job as your blade to make sure you're safe, and I've never seen you so reckless!"

"What gives you the right to stand in between me and him?! He killed my parents!" Gabriel shouted.

"I know that... But still! I won't move! I'm...," Kasandra stopped, remembering what Canaan told her. She needed to stick up for herself, and her driver! "I'm not moving from this spot until you've come to your senses!"

"Kasandra if you don't move I'll..." Gabriel started.

Kasandra interrupted him. "You'll what?" she challenged. She then pulled her fox mask off the back of her head.

"What are you doing?!" Gabriel questioned.

Kasandra spoke in a dead serious voice. "When I put on this mask, I don't know what happens next. Because when I put on this mask, I'm engulfed in pure darkness. Voices that aren't mine form, and curses unimaginable rain from it. If you take another step forward, you're really not going to like what happens next."

The mask eyes began glowing red and it rattled intensely. The entire room, even though it was underground, began shaking. The lights were flickering and we were all looking up. Wind was blowing around intensely and a thunderstorm began pouring inside the building.

"Kasandra stop!" Gabriel shouted.

She put the mask on and her voice didn't sound like hers anymore, but a deep males voice, it felt like a pissed deity, and it was terrifying. "You heard the terms, you have caused my mistress much pain. If you do not yield this instant, you will all meet your demise and she will be relieved of her pain. Winston Gabriel von Genbu, you will make your choice."

Gabriel stopped, clenched his fists, and then dropped the sword to the ground.

"I will do as she demands," he said.

The mask's eyes turned back to normal and it fell off of her face. The storm disappeared completely.

Kasandra reaches her arms out to Gabriel, she was crying. She took two weak steps to him, muttering "I'm so sorry..."

Gabriel ran to her as she collapsed, but he caught her and she fell into his arms. He lifted her up close to him.

"No Kassy, I'm sorry. I was being an idiot, thank you so much for doing that. You've always been here for me," Gabriel said.

Kasandra let out a smile. "I-I'm glad..." She then fell asleep.

Gabriel handed her over to me and I laid her down close to the wall. He then turned away and walked over to Canaan, pulling him up off the ground.

"You listen here and you listen well. My blade just saved your life," Gabriel said through gritted teeth.

"I deserve death," Canaan responded.

"I know what you deserve, but clearly she sees something I don't. So instead you'll be forced to live with a punishment," Gabriel explained.

Perceval was standing in the background, watching with crossed arms.

"You'll spend your days working for me and my group. Your job is to help us find Mythra's memory, and we're going to punish Adonis for what he's done."

"You... know he hired me?" Canaan asked, but he changed subject. "I'd rather die."

Gabriel nodded. "Good, then you understand the severity of your punishment. Make sure Finch is ok, nod if you understand."

Canaan stared blankly for solid ten seconds, but eventually he looked Gabriel in the eye and nodded.

We all took a minute to catch our breaths, but we knew we didn't have long.

"Prepare for an attack," Perceval warned, however he was a bit too late.

Adonis walked in with a smirk, tossing two gem-looking ornaments at Perceval. Perceval caught them carefully and looked to be in utter shock. I then realized those were Corvin's and Agate's core crystals.

"Proof that my creation is, in fact, worthy to be called an Aegis. She caused enough damage to force those blades back into their core crystals, just as the Aegises of old did," Adonis said with a smirk.

"Why didn't you kill them?" Perceval questioned.

Adonis laughed, a deep cackle that chilled me to my core. "If I wanted to start a war with the BAP I would've done so already." He then shifted to a more serious tone. "Go home blade, this doesn't concern you."

Perceval looked ready to fight, so I looked at him and shook my head. "Go Perceval!"

"You're relieved of your duty," Acacia added in a more professional manner.

He nodded and left through an alternate exit, so that he didn't alert the people raging outside.

"Where's Pyra?" Mythra asked, clearly pissed off.

"She's addressing the people," he said with a smile. "Just by talking to them, the people get this idea that her creator must be all wise and all powerful to creat such an intelligent AI."

"Oh please," Malos, who had been completely quiet up until this point, interjected. "Anyone would half a brain wouldn't buy into that cheap shit."

"You're right," Adonis agreed. "However if you put on a good enough show then people are willing to believe anything you throw at them."

"I'm more interested in how you intend on fighting five drivers without a blade," Acacia said, butting in.

Adonis began cackling again.

"What so funny?" Rafi asked, completely confused.

"My apologies, but I find it so entertaining that poor Acacia can't seem to recall what I'm capable of." He turned and looked at Mythra. "It seems you're not the only one who's memory has been tainted."

"What are you on about?" I questioned, inserting myself as well, and positioning myself between him and Mythra.

"Waylon... he... was a phenomenal hero," Adonis stated.

Mythra winced, as if hearing those words stung.

"Something the matter?" Adonis asked, before turning away. Sword in hand, he began pacing as he waved his arms dramatically. "A hero who did everything he could to become your driver!"

Mythra... almost seemed guilty.

"You're the very reason I decided that trying to become one with a blade was worth nothing!" he said angrily.

"What are you talking about?!" I shouted.

Adonis stopped, and looked me dead in the eyes with a menacing grin.

"The man who was able to resonate with any blade he touched, who fought a demon, and became a god! This man did what no other man could do."

He turned his head, looking sad.

"...And where is he now?" he asked in a quiet, serious tone.

Mythra looked as if she could cry. Had she remembered something?

Adonis looked her dead in the eye. "He's dead, isn't he?"

A single tear went down Mythra's cheek.

I remembered what she told me earlier... about people she loved dying. About how living for hundreds of years meant watching as loved ones died. I'd decided that I'd had enough.

"Shut up!" I yelled. "She's been through enough!"

"WHO KILLED HIM MYTHRA?!" Adonis shouted, much louder than my own.

"Who... killed him?" I thought to myself. What was he saying?

Adonis laughed. "You know what I'm talking about, and still you refuse to admit it. Admit that you took his sword, inherited the power of a god, and murdered your own driver with that sword. After he had done everything he could to be your driver!"

"N-No... I...," Mythra stuttered.

"Mythra that can't be true!" I argued. "Don't listen to him! Say... something! Anything!"

"She can't argue with you boy," Adonis said. "She can't argue because she knows I'm right."

Mythra hid her face from me.

"How long Aegis?" Adonis questioned. "How long are you going to ruin the lives of every driver you meet? You destroyed Addam's country, Rex's livelihood, Waylon's life! How long until you take from poor Silas next?"

Even I didn't know what to say...

https/youtu.be/-eU9N59CkkA

"You're a scourge you know...," Adonis accused. "A cruel angel in every regard! You find some poor boy, show him beauty, power, things he can't possibly comprehend! You throw him into your own goals he'll never truly understand and watch him waste his entire life when you don't even care about your own! You offer the sweetest of wines, only for them to find all too late that in it was a poison they had no hope of curing."

As Adonis wrapped up his monologue, Malos interrupted.

"That's all the information I need," he said. "So now that you've come here with a death wish, allow me to grant it for you."

Adonis almost laughed out loud. "Ah he's, history's weakest, most infamous Aegis thinks he can stand up to me, how quaint!"

Acacia and I both had flashbacks to our time in Mor Ardain when he murdered all of those guards without a second thought.

"Contain yourself, Malos," Acacia warned.

Malos laughed as he pulled his sword, the Monado of Destruction.

"Actually, I do what I want now. And I personally want to shut this one up," he said with his half-smile.

Adonis readied his sword. "Come then, Aegis."

Malos smirked. "Thought you'd never ask."

Malos moves faster than any human eye could hope to see as he slashed at Adonis.

He lifted it up and sliced down at an angle, aiming at the the point Adonis's shoulder met his neck.

However, his sword landed with a thud, as Adonis caught the blade in his hand.

Malos immediately stopped and pulled back.

"How?!" Malos said, completely caught off guard. "My Monado decays anything it touches..."

Adonis smiled as he sheathed his sword. "I already gave you your answer. You're weak."

Malos frowned as he disappeared into a puff of black smoke and reappeared behind Adonis, hitting much faster this time, however Adonis simply blocked each strike with just his fingers.

Malos went for a much heavier strike. This time Adonis caught his sword with both hands and flipped Malos over his head, pulling the sword from Malos' hands.

Adonis then broke the sword over his knee like it was a stick.

Malos slowly got up off the ground.

"YOU WON'T MOCK ME!" Malos shouted as he summoned another Monado and launched himself at Adonis.

"MALOS STOP!" Acacia pleaded, but she was far too late.

In the time it took for her words to even reach his ears, Adonis had caught him by the throat and slammed him into the ground. He then picked Malos back up and began beating his face into a pulp.

"LET GO OF HIM!" I yelled as I grabbed Mythra's sword and rushed him.

He laughed and threw me into Mythra. He didn't even touch me, just the force of the wind coming from the wave of his hand was enough to throw me back.

He then placed Malos' skull in his hand and began crushing it firmly. Malos let a bunch of screams into Adonis' hand until Adonis turned Malos' head sideways and then punched him directly in the temple, knocking Malos out of commission.

"I will be taking the Aegis of Light now," Adonis said as he turned toward me.

"Leave her alone!" I said, standing in between them again.

"Silas, stop...," Mythra said to me.

"Mythra... what?!" I questioned, not taking my eyes off of Adonis.

"Didn't you hear him?" she continued. "Do you want the same fate as my previous drivers? Just leave me be."

"I can't do that!" I argued. "I still think he's lying!"

Adonis smiled. "Then how about I prove it to you right now."

I was confused. "Prove what to me?"

"She's told you that you may be the reincarnation of Waylon, correct?" he said.

"She said I inherited his power!" I corrected.

Adonis shrugged as he pulled his sword again, a two-handed, double-edged longsword.

"She lied to you," Adonis stated. "You couldn't have possibly inherited his power."

I eyed him cautiously. "And why's that?"

Suddenly, the air went still as Adonis' eyes and sword began glowing a bright teal, and before I could blink he was behind me.

"Because, I inherited Waylon's power," he said finally.

He then slammed the hilt into my face and slashed me straight through, hitting me with pure ether damage.

"Stop!" Mythra cried.

"What are you going to do about it?" Adonis yelled back.

Her core crystals began glowing very brightly. "I'll use Siren, I'll have him blow a home through me right now. That power... will kill me, and you'll be left with nothing."

He wasted no time in planting his hilt in her jaw before she could even say another word. Just like that... she went unconscious.

"I'm not falling for that," he said as he picked her up, he then looked at everyone else in the room. "Anyone else care to take a swing at me before I leave?"

I could feel myself losing consciousness.

He nodded. "Good. Remember this the next time you feel like being a hero. Also if I ever see any of your faces again, I will make sure that it's the last time. Goodbye."

Those were the last words I heard from him. I then heard Acacia running to my aid, but I passed out before she ever reached me...

Readability Level: 11-12th Grade

Time Taken: 5 Hours


	50. Chapter L

Book VII: A Master and his Doll

Chapter L

"Sir, we've begun the data injection into the blade you brought us," a shorter man in a lab coat said.

"Good," Adonis replied. "Is the titan near?"

"Yes sir, it approaches now, unaware that we're here."

Adonis smiled. "This titan has hid away from me for four hundred years now. Last time we met, I stole what I needed from him, but now... He's the only one who can take me to the World Tree."

"Sir, what if the titan doesn't comply?" the man asked.

Adonis smiled. "If he doesn't I will kill him, it's that simple. Mythra can take us there if need be, but I'd rather have more than one option."

Adonis looked up and smiled again, as he saw a large creature resembling a dragon fly overhead.

"FIRE!" he shouted as a large blast of ether energy hit the titan directly.

It roared as it began trying to fly away.

Adonis jumped into the air, hitting a large tree. He bent it down to the ground, and the tree flicked Adonis into the air towards the titan.

He pulled his sword as it began glowing teal and he slammed it into the titan's flesh.

"Come on Azurda, fight a little harder! Or are you too old?" Adonis laughed.

...

"He still isn't awake yet?" Gabriel asked Acacia.

Acacia nodded her head. "The ether damage he sustained was more than he should've been able to take. I don't even know how he's breathing right now."

"He's been out off eight days now," Canaan acknowledged.

"Oh my poor driver!" Azami exclaimed. "He's too cute to die!"

"Calm yourself, Azami," Sheba said. "It won't do for us to worry about him."

"Poppi worried...," Poppi added.

"Poppi not need to worry!" Rafi comforted. "Silas strong! Silas surely get up soon!"

"Mythra taken too...," Poppi said.

"Who?" Finch asked. She had already forgotten who Mythra was.

"Don't rack your brain over it Finch," Canaan calmed.

"Acacia, my sensor indicate a large amount of stress in your system, sleeping is the most effective course of action to counterbalance this," KOS-MOS interrupted.

"I'm fine, KOS-MOS," Acacia argued.

Kasandra, who had been sitting silently, sat up and began walking towards the room I was staying in.

"You alright Kasandra?" Gabe asked.

She sighed. "I'm fine. I'll give Acacia a break and go be his good luck charm for a bit..."

Acacia seemed annoyed. "No... really, I'm fine. I'll just—"

Kasandra cut her off. "Your blade knows you as well as you know yourself, go rest."

Acacia sighed. She looked relieved, but hid it well. "Thanks, I'll go take a rest."

Kasandra didn't look anyone in the eye as she walked into the room, she then shut the door behind her.

"You're going to rest to," Sonata said as she walked out into the middle of the room, grabbed Gabriel, and dragged him off. He didn't argue.

Canaan picked up Finch. "How about we go get some rest too?"

"Ok, but where are we?" Finch asked.

Canaan sighed. "For the eighth time, we're in Theoscaldia's hotel."

"Oh ok! I won't forget this time!"

"I... doubt it."

Soon, everyone went to bed, the only one not passed out was Kasandra, who sat by Silas.

"I don't know how you do it...," she said aloud. "Or better yet... why?"

She looked onto my unconscious body. "The entire world's against you and you're nothing but a farm boy. How do you keep going?"

She pulled up her chair and laid her head sideways on my bed. "Everyone really cares about helping you... I hope you know that."

Before she knew it, she passed out too.

That night, I left.

I got up, left the inn, and went to the palace. Nothing was being guarded, so I grabbed one of Zeke's old ships and I flew out of there. I was never going back.

...

https/youtu.be/TV0uYFPEkks

It had been five days since I had abandoned being a driver, they hadn't come for me, they probably didn't know where I was.

I had just made it home, and I sat down on Granny's front steps to her house. I... wasn't ready to face her yet. But she had seen me, as she was outside.

She walked up and looked over me.

"What are you doing back, Silas?" she questioned.

"I... I'm home, Granny. I... wasn't cut out to be a driver," I said simply.

"Not cut out?" she asked in her Welsh accent. "Whaddya mean your 'not cut out'?"

"You weren't there Granny," I explained. "He beat down Malos! Malos took on an entire army and slaughtered them all! But he couldn't even touch him! I... I couldn't touch him!"

"Where's Mythra?" she interrogated.

"She threatened to kill herself to save me, but Adonis knocked her out before she could even finish a sentence," I began crying. "I'm nothing more than a joke! He had power! Power like I've never seen! I couldn't even see him move..."

Granny sat down next to me, and laughed a bit.

"You know, Rex had the same thoughts one day," Granny started.

"He did? What happened?" I asked. "I thought he was the perfect driver!"

"Jin beat 'em and took Mythra. He humiliated Rex, and then accused him of being unable to understand a blade. Three days later, he packed 'is bags and said he was gonna leave," Granny explained.

"I... had no idea," I said. "What happened?"

Her tone shifted extremely quickly as she shoved me off the stairs. I hit the ground and was fairly confused.

"I shoved his arse on the ground!" she shouted. "Mythra trusted you! She understands she can't exist on her own so she turns to people she believes she can trust! And you just abandoned her?! Are you daft?"

"I tried!" I argued. "And she already got most of her memory back! I only stayed because—"

"Because what?!" Granny interrupted. "Lemme guess, you felt powerful, like you could do anything?"

"How did you know?" I questioned.

Granny sighed. "Because you're not her first driver. Everyone wants to feel big and important Silas. You tasted defeat, and now you're just going to give it all away!"

"I... don't want to fight him... he's too powerful, I'd just die. She's better off with him."

She looked pissed again. "She would've died for you, I hope you understand that Silas."

Granny got up and went back inside, she didn't have anything more to say.

And so I sat there. I cursed everything up until that point. I was angry at the stupid cave, Adonis, Pyra, Violet, Juliani, this whole thing had been stupid.

I didn't want to ever step foot outside of Leftheria again...

...

"What do you mean he's gone?!" Acacia asked, startled.

"I don't know! He wasn't there after I got up!" Kasandra defended.

"One of the ships is gone!" Gabriel brought up.

"Do you think he'd try to save her on his own?" Sheba questioned.

"Knowing the brat, he probably gave up and went home," Malos interjected.

They mostly ignored him.

"Let's get to our ship," Acacia decided. "We need to figure out where he went."

"The ship has departed," KOS-MOS stated.

"What?!" Sonata asked.

"Azami has taken it."

"Oh no...," Sheba said in realization. "She's going after him alone!"

...

"You can't sneak away from me that easily," Azami said as her left eye shined a bright purple. "I see you no matter where you hide! I'm coming."

Readability Level: 11-12th Grade

Time Taken: 3 Hours


	51. Chapter LI

Book VII: A Master and his Doll

Chapter LI

"What do you mean you're giving up?!" Sarah asked me.

I had fallen asleep, and I had almost forgotten she was with me. The black haired girl that only spoke in dreams...

"I said I'm done! I'm not cut out to be an Aegis driver! Never have been, never will be," I argued.

She huffed. "Some power inheritor you turned out to be!"

This only annoyed me. "I didn't inherit Waylon's power!"

She seemed taken aback.

"Adonis inherited his power. He had the teal sword and everything!" I pointed out.

"That's bullshit," Sarah argued.

"And how would you know?! You're just a random voice inside my head who doesn't ever clarify anything!" I was simply pissed off now. "If you've got some helpful wisdom you're just keeping for yourself then please, enlighten me to your ways Miss Exposition!"

Now I had done it, her hair and eyes, and even outfit all changed to bright red.

"Listen here chicken shit!" she started as her features began flaming. "I'm Waylon's first blade, and I'm telling you right now Adonis is so full of shit that it almost drowns out the scent of the pants you probably soiled when you abandoned all of your blades!"

"Wha—? But his first blade was..."

"An evil blade of pure destruction who's only desire was to burn the world to nothing so it could be recreated, yes. That's me, I'm Cereza, or... Serena."

"You killed hundreds...," I said in realization. "You should have died!"

"No shit Sherlock, but it looks like I didn't. So how about you quit fucking around and actually go get information for yourself!"

"You're a dark blade... but not you're a fire blade? How does that work?" I questioned.

Apparently that wasn't the right question. She definitely still wasn't happy.

"Mind your own damn business and go the Spirit Crucible Elpys, where you found Mythra," she demanded.

"I'm done! I don't want to be a driver anymore!" I argued as I crossed my arms.

"Then I don't give a fuck what you do, get the hell out of here," she said before reaching back and slapping me across the face.

...

I shot awake and looked around. Blue skies, old houses, green grass, I was sitting on wooden steps. I... had fallen asleep on Granny's porch.

I looked out towards Spirit Crucible Elpys, and then I began to think about its name. I had gone in their before, but it sounded like a place made to crush your spirit, a place that forced you to mold yourself by using the fire contained inside that place. To shine through adversity... That place didn't seem so bad when I went through, but I remember Mythra breathing extremely heavily while she tried to leave. Did it only effect blades?

I felt like I was being watched. No, not "felt like", I WAS being watched. I focused my eyes as I left my realm of thought and I saw a shadow, one I had seen before. He was watching me, as if he was beckoning me to come closer.

I met him when I touched Mythra's core crystal for the first time, he carried a teal sword, just like Adonis did.

"Why won't you just let me live out the rest of my days in peace?!" I asked, or rather, yelled out at it.

It just stared at me silently, leaving me to my own thoughts.

I knew what it was doing... I already had the answer.

"Because even if I spent the rest of my life trying to move on... I'd never successfully do it...," I said aloud.

The shadow nodded and disappeared.

"Fine then, you want to play this game? Let's play," I decided as I made sure I had both my sword and pistol. I then once again descended into Spirit Crucible Elpys.

...

"How is she progressing?" Adonis asked his assistant.

"Her core crystal injection is working, just as it did with Pyra," he responded with a confident nod.

Adonis let out a sigh. "And what of the injection strength?"

"Unfortunately it isn't holding as tightly as Pyra's did, however that's because you broke Pyra's AI through torture, Mythra's will not break so easily, her AI was what Pyra's was based off of. I'm not certain it's even capable of breaking. However she will no doubt obey you," he confirmed.

I only need her for one measly task, after which she will be useless to me. My plan is nearly complete, and once it is, I can finally get what I want.

Adonis left his assistant and began walking back to his office. Along the way, a curious Violet made her way to him, and she walked right beside him.

"What DO you want General?" Violet questioned. "Kidnapping Aegises is fun and all, but what is it you're after?"

Adonis smiled. "Curiosity killed the cat, Colonel."

"Oh but satisfaction brought it back General."

"Fair enough," Adonis admitted as he gathered his thoughts. "I want a world free of the corrupt sin that grips it. Every day, humans destroy and use every part of it, while blades assist them at every turn. The world in and of itself is ugly. By amassing power, I can be the vessel so she can recreate the world."

"She? General you're not dating are you?" Violet teased.

"Calm yourself Colonel. I want you to remain here. You will take charge in my coming absence, prep T-Elos and have her ready to assist."

"You don't think they'd be dumb enough to attack us directly, do you?" Violet asked as she cocked her head to the side.

"Most of them won't, but one of their members I know can't help themselves, be prepared," Adonis warned.

"Of course, General. I move without delay."

Readability Level: 11-12th Grade

Time Taken: 2.5 Hours


	52. Chapter LII

Book VII: A Master and his Doll

Chapter LII

"We need to go after him!" Sheba argued as she slammed her hands on the table.

"And I'm saying no," Acacia snapped back.

"As much as I hate it, she's right," Gabriel added.

"But you want us to split in two groups?" Sonata pointed out.

KOS-MOS began running calculations. "By all logic, Adonis will have taken Mythra away from the BCC. The odds of that are sixty-eight point four four four three two percent. However, that still leaves a significant chance that he did go back to the BCC."

"But where would he have taken Mythra if not there?" Kasandra questioned.

"That's something I think Juliani may know," Acacia stayed confidently.

"And what makes you so sure?" Canaan interjected.

Acacia nodded. "Juliani's biggest competition for being the most respected person in all of Alrest is Adonis. She's the type to keep her enemies very close, if someone knows anything, it's her."

"You sure your sister wouldn't know more?" Canaan asked. "Seems like he trusts her more than he ever trusted you."

Acacia shot him an annoyed look before responding. "That's why we need to split up. Either of them may know what we're looking for."

"Driver! Where's the water?" Finch asked as she walked up to the table without a clue what was going on.

"Finch did you forget my name again?" Canaan questioned.

"I would never do that Jeff!" Finch defended, shaking her head.

"It's Canaan."

"That's what I said, Bacon."

Canaan sighed. "The water's in the kitchen, just like it always is."

Finch looked completely confused. "Why are we talking about water?"

Canaan chuckled a bit before turning back to Acacia. "Well if that's the case, I'll take Finch and we'll go after your psycho sis."

Gabriel immediately seemed agitated. "And what makes you think we trust you to actually do that, eh?"

"That is the most effective means of continuing," KOS-MOS stated.

"You can't be serious!" Gabriel argued.

Acacia shook her head. "She's right. Canaan has no doubt seen the ins and outs of the BCCHQ, and he's proven to know his enemies extremely well. Enough that his knowledge alone has granted him victory over unimaginable power multiple times."

"Last time Acacia fought her, Violet knocked her unconscious for days," Kasandra pointed out.

"And T-Elos isn't to be underestimated either," Canaan added.

"It appears you peons have come to an agreement then?" Sheba asked.

"Trust or not, this may be our best bet. We'll take the last two of King Zeke's ships," Acacia agreed.

Gabriel looked at Canaan. "You'd better come back alive, you need to pay your debt."

Canaan smirked. "It's a promise."

"What about Silas?" Kasandra asked.

"If Adonis forces Mythra to obey him there won't be anyone strong enough to stop him," Acacia stated. "We'll just have to hope Azami can bring him back. For now, we move."

...

"Have you seen my driver?" she asked a Leftherian man who maintained the air vessel port.

"Ma'am, you're not listening! We've detected fifty-six weapons on your person," he pointed out, trying to get her to focus. "Three whips, four short swords, a claymore, twenty ether grenades, six ether pistols,..."

He kept going, but Azami lost interest. She began walking away as her eye began glowing purple. She couldn't see her driver anymore, but she knew he was here.

"Oh I knew I shouldn't have taken that nap, he must've gone into a house or cave or something!" she thought to herself.

"Stop right there!" the man said as he put handcuffs on her.

"Oh naughty!" Azami squealed aloud. "Normally I'd adore the attention, but I'm saving myself for my driver!"

"Ma'am, I'm going to have to ask you to stop talking until back up arrives!" he ordered.

Azami was well over seven feet tall, and toward over this man. She bent over so her face was right in front of his. He flinched and jumped back a bit.

"My my! So assertive!" she teased. She then proceeded to break the handcuffs off like nothing. "But I really must be on my way! Til next time!"

She began running away in a different direction as the man yelled into his walkie talkie.

"I'm coming my sweet!" she said as she happily skipped off towards the only cave she could see on the entire archipelago.

...

A shadowy figure met me at the spot I had found Mythra. And by "shadowy" I didn't mean shady. I meant a literal walking could of darkness, holding a crimson red sword.

"Where are your blades?" it asked me.

"I have none," I replied.

"You lie, Silas. You have three. Where are they?" it continued.

"Why are you asking questions when you already know the answer then?"

"That's a funny way to answer that," it laughed.

When I had first entered, when I had first found Mythra. There were three shadows. One held Mythra's sword, one held a green sword, and one held a sword like Adonis' teal one. When I had awakened Mythra, the other two left, and the one with the teal sword stayed. Now the one with the green sword was here, but he now held a red sword.

"What now?" I asked it.

It sighed. "I had a lot of time to grow up, after I became the true driver of the Aegis. I learned a lot about myself, about blades, the workings of this world are so masterful, it's quite astounding. The only reason I didn't abandon everything, was because I made bonds with the people who followed me along the way. And yet, here you are, alone. Have you no friends?"

"I left them, we never really knew each other all that well anyway," I admitted.

"So, even though they didn't know you, they dropped everything to be by your side, and you bloody stabbed them in the back," it said.

"That's not what I—,"

"Y'know someone did stab me in the back once. Legitimately, it wasn't pretty. It actually killed me," it continued. "How would you like to be the reason your friends die?"

"I-"

"I've met sociopathic blades with bigger hearts than yours. If you want to fix this, get to Argentum. But you'll have to prove yourself, or you'll never leave."

"What do you mean?!" I asked.

It took its sword and shouted "Everbero" before splitting into three.

"If you wish to save your blade, if you wish to save your friends, fight me now, and prove that you can. Or, you can die here and share the fate of those you abandoned."

Readability Level: 11-12th Grade

Time Taken: 2.5 Hours


	53. Chapter LIII

Book VII: A Master and his Doll

Chapter LIII

https/youtu.be/fbTf3moH72s

I fired my pistol, but the man of shadows sliced them out of the air. Why did I even keep a gun on me?

"I already told you I don't want anything to do with this anymore! Leave me be!" I argued.

"And I already said that you're allowed to make that choice, but I won't let you abandon your friends that easily!" he argued as he charged at me.

I pulled my sword and parried off of him, launching myself backwards.

"Besides," he continued. "If you didn't have the will to move on, you wouldn't be fighting, now would you?"

I couldn't beat him, not even close, not by myself. His duplicates hadn't even started attacking yet and I was hopeless.

"You're wrong! Giving up on her and giving up on life are two different things!" I argued. "If I didn't care about my life, I would've gone after her!"

"And if you cared about hers half as much as she sacrificed for yours, maybe you wouldn't be so selfish. You disappoint me Silas," he replied as he lowered his head.

"That's... not what I...," I couldn't find the words to argue. "She didn't want to get attached to me..."

"And now it's her fault?" he questioned.

"No! It's not... it's my fault!"

"Really? You don't seem too convinced!"

One of the duplicates immediately charged at me before I could respond. He used the hilt of his sword so slam me into the ground before grabbing me by the collar and lifting me off the ground.

"Hurts, don't it?" he asked. "That's nothing compared to what she's feeling."

He then tossed me into the air as the second duplicate jumped up and spiked me into the ground with the flat end of his sword.

I coughed up a bit of blood, this wasn't good.

"For the Architect's sake, you're so conflicted you can't even fight back! Will you make your bloody choice?!" he said, raising his voice.

"I... don't want to fight anymore. I'm scared... just end it all. I don't care," I finally said.

He let out a sigh. "Fine, so be it.

The two duplicates stopped and he approached me, holding his sword up.

I waited for it to kill me, but instead I watched his shadowy figure get launched into a wall and dissipate.

"How dare you try and abandon me like that!" a familiar voice said irritably as she walked into the room.

"Azami?" I said in surprise.

"Yes, it's me!" she said, yanking me up by the ear. "You know I would've gone back to my core crystal if he'd have killed you! My beloved driver shouldn't be so selfish! I'd die of boredom if you left me all alone!"

"Ow!" I said, trying to unsuccessfully pull away. "Azami, I-"

"I told you, I made it VERY clear that there was no getting away from me. Do you remember that?" she yelled, but she wasn't waiting for an answer. "I don't care that you were scared, I don't care that you feel like you can't beat him! But what I do care about is you abandoning me! Did you ever stop and think for a second about how I felt?"

"Look, I'm sorry! Can you please let go of my-"

She responded by picking me up off the ground by my ear.

"I'm not done talking!" she stated. "You're going to kick his ass, and then we're going to go save the Aegis. You're going to be a man and hold the promise you made to help her regain her full memory, and then, and only then, can you come home. Preferably with me as your bride, but regardless!"

"Alright, fine. You're right, I shouldn't have left," I finally said, making up my mind.

She then set me down. "Good, now let's prove it!"

"You said your friends weren't really friends," the shadow reminded me. "So was that a lie?"

https/youtu.be/va8sRgPwHP0

For some reason, I felt relieved. Maybe the reason I thought they weren't really friends was just me being immature. This whole thing was just me being immature, I had to get better, I had to BE better.

"Yeah, sorry. Guess my head was in the wrong place," I said, letting out a chuckle.

"What's so funny?" he asked.

Azami passed me her ether cannon and I turned to face one of the two remaining duplicates.

"I simply realized how silly I've been," I acknowledged. "You want proof? Well I'm ready now."

"Very well," he said. "Multis!"

Azami stood back-to-back with me and we were now surrounded by four duplicates.

I fired off a shot and took out one, Azami pulled my sword out of my sheathe and began sword fighting one of the duplicates.

"Everbero!" he shouted as he shot out a wave of darkness at me.

Azami twirled back away from her opponent, throwing up a quick ether shield to protect me. I then blasted the duplicate she was fighting.

That was two more down, two left.

Azami slammed the sword into a duplicate as he parried it, shattering my sword.

"Azami I actually use that!" I complained.

"No worries my love!" she giggled as she pulled out another sword out of... I didn't even know where she pulled it out of. "The vessel port thought I only had fifty-six weapons."

"Remind me never to get on your bad side again," I pointed out before shooting at the duplicate she wasn't attacking.

"This is much better Silas," the shadow said.

Azami threw the sword at me and I threw her back her cannon, effectively switching weapons.

I then engaged in a sword fight with the shadow.

"Fluctus!" it yelled as it let out an ether attack around it.

I jumped back and blocked it with my own ether shield.

"You fight with your blade in harmony, as any driver should. Much better than when you were tested at the beginning," he acknowledged.

"I was a fool, but I'm not scared anymore! I mean... I am... but I have others to help me!" I said before slashing at him again.

Azami fired at the other duplicate, sending it to oblivion.

"Any final words, phantom?" I asked.

"Name's Rex" he said. "And just one question, what finally made you change your mind?"

"I don't know... I guess between Granny, you, Sarah, and Azami... it finally clicked. I was never doing this for me, and it wouldn't be right to quit now!"

"Then I wish you the best of luck!" Rex said with a hint of a smile. "Do I need to tell you where to go, or have you figured it out?"

"I don't know where Mythra is... but I know where my friends are going. I'll just try to figure it out before they even get there!" I said.

"Very well, best of luck," he said before disappearing.

"WAKE UP!" a voice shouted at me as I snapped out of it.

"What's going on Azami?" I questioned.

"Those phantoms disappeared and then you began staring at the ceiling for about five minutes now. Are you alright?" Azami questioned.

"I'm fine," I said as I sighed in relief. "Come on, let's go bother Juliani."

"I love it when you look so confident, my driver," she swooned.

"Calm down," I said, laughing a bit. "Let's go Azami... and thanks."

...

"What do you mean you lost the map?!" Nim interrogated.

"I don't know! It was in my pocket!" Electra said, trying to defend herself.

"Electra you don't even have pockets," Floren pointed out.

"Well maybe if I did we wouldn't be in this mess!"

"It's fine," Nim interjected. "There's plenty of Phonexes here! I can just ask them for directions."

"I'm still skeptical on you actually being able to do that," Floren sighed.

"Says the boy who's ability is his 'cute charm'!" Nim snapped.

"Hey leave me alone!" Floren pouted.

They stopped talking to each other and Nim approached the small creature that resembled a fox.

After squeaking to each other for about twenty minutes, Nim waved goodbye.

"So where's Juliani at?" Electra asked.

Nim stopped and began sweating.

"Well?" Floren prodded.

"I... forgot to ask," she admitted.

"Oh come on!" Electra whined.

"I'm sorry he started talking about his family and I didn't want to interrupt!" Nim defended.

"But that was the whole reason you started talking to him!" Floren pointed out.

"Well I can't help that I'm socially awkward by default!"

"Alright fine, then I'll just use my charm to talk to the locals!" Floren decided.

They went into the main area of Argentum and began asking people for about three hours, but the locals weren't exactly friendly.

After they had finally reached their wit's end, they finally stopped and took a break.

"I'm beat," Electra complained.

"Why aren't people helping us? They just keep looking at us like we're stupid!" Floren pointed out.

"Well if you were the richest and most powerful female in all of Argentum where would you live?" Nim asked aloud.

"Probably in some big giant party house," Floren mumbled.

"You mean like that one?" Electra asked, pointing at literally the largest building in all of Argentum.

"Oh yeah," Nim realized. "We're bad at this..."

"Alright!" Floren exclaimed, jumping up and down. "Now all we need to do is stake out the entrance, find a way in, and spy on Juliani!"

"Quit saying that so loud!" Nim Sai's, jumping up and covering his mouth.

"Oh, right," Floren said with a laugh.

"The Mighty Band of Misfits will soon be the most feared party in all of the BAP!" Electra shouted excitedly.

But how they'd even get in there was a mystery.

Readability Level: 11-12th Grade

Time Taken: 2 Hours


	54. Chapter LIV

Book VII: A Master and his Doll

Chapter LIV

My name is Silas, the Sixth Driver of the Aegis and supposed reincarnation of the Fourth. After being disgraced and beaten by the more sinister Fifth Driver, and proven that I wasn't anything special, I fled. I gave up and left it all behind, because I was scared. I was aiding the Aegis, but only because I felt powerful, not because I was selfless. I am no hero, hell I'm not even a good driver. In fact I feel like I'm no better than Adonis. Over the course of this entire adventure, I've been constantly scared or confused. None of that has changed, I'm still scared and I still don't understand everything. However, that doesn't matter anymore because I made a promise. People count on me to grow up, to make decisions even I don't feel like I should have the authority to make. I'm only twenty, it's not fair that I was thrown into this conflict, into this war. But I'm not going to let that stop me, everyone was right. I have to protect the people who have done nothing but protect me. So even if I'm not Alrest's greatest driver, it's about time I started trying to be.

...

"What do you want peon?" Juliani asked me, I was honestly surprised she even let me in her building, especially after the whole Poppi and Lila debacle.

"Adonis took Mythra, and I don't know where, would you know where he'd keep her?" I questioned simply.

Juliani let out a laugh. "Even if I did know where he'd hide that bitch, what makes you think that I'd help you?"

"You tried to kill my adorable driver! It's the least you could do to make it up!" Azami yelled, flustered.

"Azami stop," I interrupted before she could go any farther. "That'll get us nowhere."

"I don't recall inviting that disgusting broken marionette doll," Juliani glared.

"Let's just focus," I said, trying to diffuse the situation. "If Adonis had some facility to make the most powerful weapons on the planet his own, there's no way you wouldn't keep tabs on him."

Juliani grinned as she hopped on top of her desk to look me in the face. "You're correct. It seems you're not as dumb as you look peon. I'll willingly tell you where it is, if you'll do one thing for me."

"I won't bring you Poppi or Rafi," I said quickly.

Juliani laughed. "What makes you think I want anything to do with those idiots? No, I simply want you to be part of the Argentum Entertainment House."

"What would I be doing?" I questioned.

"Entertaining, of course."

"I don't like where this is going," Azami said, obviously uncomfortable.

I wasn't about to give up, not again. "Fine, but let's make it quick. And Azami goes with me."

"Brilliant, two birds with one stone! Guards, begin!" she ordered.

Two guards came behind us and threw bags over our heads.

...

As Canaan approached the BCCHQ, he knew one thing clearly. Adonis wasn't there, there was no chance in hell. However, Violet was, and that was his main target.

Normally, he would have already done a large amount of research, however there was no recorded research of Violet or Acacia Uzuki anywhere, Zane had already confirmed this before he died.

From their last encounter, he knew she was nothing to laugh at. Canaan had returned home and gathered up whatever other devices Zane left. It contained an ether dampener, just like he used with Mòrag, an insanely powerful ether shield, some ether grenades, and one last hoverboard.

This had to work. He got on his hoverboard and begin flying up the building.

...

"FRIENDS COME QUICK!" Poppi shouted from the other room.

"What going on?" Rafi asked as he walked into the room. Everyone else soon followed.

"Hello my lovelies!" Juliani said through the TV. "I have a new story for you, I have personally apprehended the perpetrator charged with stealing the power of an Aegis!"

"She has Silas?!" Acacia asked.

"No doubt, figures he was one step ahead of us," Gabriel added.

"But why would he go it alone?" Malos questioned aloud.

"Nice to see you out of your room sunshine," Acacia mocked.

Malos rolled his eyes.

Juliani continued. "If you'd like to see what I plan to do with him, he will be performing at the Argentum Entertainment Center where he will meet his untimely end! It's free for you pretty females and even open to men who'd like to donate to a good cause!"

"No!" Rafi exclaimed rather loudly, making everyone jump.

"This ain't good," Gabriel added.

"Something I'm missing?" Sonata asked.

"Anyone who goes in, never leave alive. It's how my daddapon died," Rafi admitted.

"As far as I've been told, it's some kind of arena. People like Juliani who push their opinions as fervently as possible and shun and humiliate any who disagree go to get their sick fun watching people they disagree with get mauled to death," Gabriel explained.

"Who're the usual targets?" Acacia questioned.

"Anyone with money or power, or anyone Juliani dislikes. From BAP blades to people of wealth who refuse to donate to her to any male she hates at the time."

"Silas can't die like that!" Poppi exclaimed. "We have to go now!"

"We'll be there in a few hours, we're going as fast as we can," Acacia said.

"Silas not have that long," Rafi replied. "Longest anyone ever last is forty minutes."

Readability Level: 11-12th Grade

Time Taken: 2.5 Hours


	55. Chapter LV

Book VII: A Master and his Doll

Chapter LV

"Ladies and peons!" Juliani announced over a loudspeaker to an entire arena full of screaming fans. "Welcome to the Argentum Entertainment Center, where fools come to have a rude awakening!"

"Please give a round of the most sarcastic applause to the fool who accepted this challenge," Theory announced in her quiet voice. The ice blade decorated in icicles was the shy one of Juliani's two blades, but rumored to be the more powerful of the two.

The second one, Praxis, was decorated in water bubbles, the two wore similar shades of blue and almost looked like sisters.

"Open the gate you filthy peons!" she announced as two burly-looking men opened the gate that Azami and I waited behind.

We walked out and I immediately took a look around.

The large, metal gate began making a bunch of loud clanking sounds as the guards went in behind it as it closed with a loud thud.

The arena was large, I was in a giant open area full of sand, rocks, and the bones of humans, nopons, and other creatures, along with cracked core crystals. When blades had their core crystals cracked, they typically never returned to their core crystals, they simply died. But it was obvious that once the driver died, the blades returned to their core crystals, and then were left to get trampled on by whatever afterwards. This place already sickened me.

I looked up at the crowd, all females. The only males were wearing embarrassing outfits and selling beverages while getting constantly harassed.

"Allow me to explain the rules peon," Praxis said through the speaker. "You will be faced with three rounds of combat, survive and you win, fail and join the piles of bones you see around you. The crowd has decided that you will be given the most difficult rounds that we can offer, due to your most heinous crimes against the general public. No one has ever even attempted this difficulty, and no one has ever survived even our easiest difficulty."

I had finally realized why Juliani offered me this deal. I was a criminal under Adonis' orders, and she had been the one to capture me. I was nothing more than a publicity stunt, and I had fallen right for it.

"Azami," I called out.

"Yes, my darling driver?" she answered with a giggle. She didn't seem to care about where she was or what was going on, she seemed happy just to be with me. It was... both comforting and unnerving.

"I'm not going to die here, will you lend me every ounce of your strength?" I asked.

She let out a haunted giggle. "Oh love, I could never hold back anything from you."

"That's all I ask," I said, ignoring the chill that went down my spine.

"Bring forth the first beast!" Juliani announced with a very lighthearted giggle.

The gate began opening with loud metal clicking sounds, and a terrifying agonized scream-laugh mix echoed from the other side. Immediately the entire arena smelled of blood as loud thuds of it walking began filling the environment.

"Five hundred years ago, it was discovered that the ancient civilization of Indol did experimentation on the refugees it promised to save," Praxis began explaining as the beast began stepping into the light. "These poor souls were mixed with blade core crystal technology and were turned into half Titan, half human monsters. These beasts could no longer distinguish between life and death, and exist in so much agony that the only way for them to truly satiate their own suffering is by enforcing their suffering on others. Careful! These beasts are known to play with their victims and torture them to a horrid, agonizing death as it then plays with your disemboweled corpse."

"That doesn't sound too friendly...," Azami pointed out.

The beast finally came out of hiding, showing itself to the world. It was massive, more than five times my height and probably more than ten times my weight. It's eyes were bright red, as if a machine was what was keeping it alive. It had the head of a monster, a few horns, and a large mouth. It's claws were nothing to laugh at either, and the laugh-cries it kept emitting were bone-chilling.

"A new toy, has come to play!" it wheezed out in an extremely raspy, pained voice.

"It's suffering," I said aloud in realization. "How long have you been like this?!"

"I'm... going to rip you apart. And... play in your blood!" it said, now laughing hysterically.

"Why can't we fight something cuter?" Azami whined.

https/youtu.be/GlHBmlnYFe0

"What- happened to my body?" it asked. It even seemed confused.

"You don't know? You've been like this for five hundred years," I answered, trying to understand what this was.

"Wh-Where's Amalthus?! I want to kill him too!" it said, almost excitedly.

"Hunny," Azami said to me. "I don't believe this creature cares what you have to say."

The monster stood up on its hind legs. Revealing a very human face on its chest part.

"You're right!" it answered excitedly, for sure this time. "I want to use your blood to heal my wounds! Oh lovely day, lovely day..."

It than began humming happily to itself.

I felt my stomach knot up. This... this was too much.

"Alright mommy," it said, and to my disgust I realized that this had once been a little girl. "I will play with others! Just like you wanted me to! And then my pain will end!"

She stopped and began cackling. "I promise I'll be a good girl!"

"Azami, ready!" I shouted as I pulled my sword from its sheath.

Azami leaped backwards and began charging her ether cannon.

"I know!" the monster said as she began laughing. "Let's play tag! I'll start."

She immediately charged at me at an insane speed and tried to claw me. I extended my right arm and engaged the ether shield, blocking the blow. However the force threw me a back a good bit.

The crowd shrieked in excitement as I got hit.

"Azami, don't you have a certain shot that should end her immediately?" I asked, remembering that her cannon was much more powerful than most other blades'.

"Not something that big, my adorable driver. However, if you weaken it enough, I believe I'll have a sublime shot," she explained with a grin.

"Fine, I'll do my best," I said, putting an earth ether crystal into the sword's socket. "This should do it."

With an earth ether crystal, my sword now hit with more of an impact. My sword was now more like some sort of hammer, despite not changing shape, and slicing was near impossible.

I quickly moved forward, slamming my sword into the beasts claw as it tried to swat me away. This caused the beast's hand to bounce up away from me, leaving an opening. I then slashed upwards, right across the beasts human face. However, instead of cutting, this launched the beast into the air, and the opposite reaction put me back on the ground.

The beast landed on the ground, and began coughing up blood as it stood back up.

"I'm going to kill you!" she shrieked at me as she began charging at me.

"Oh my beloved!" Azami called. "You should come here for a minute!"

I didn't know what she was planning, but I trusted her, so I ran back towards her as fast as I could, with the beast trailing close behind.

"Oh my you are so adorable when you run to me like this," she said as she got all flustered.

"Please tell me... you have... a plan!" I shouted as I ran towards her, trying to keep my breathing up.

"Of course!" she giggled. She waited until I was right in front of her before she grabbed my shirt and tripped me, causing me to tumble past her. She then focused her ether cannon at the beast as it approached her.

"DIE YOU STUPID DOLL!" the monster yelled.

"My my!" Azami giggled. "You're a rude little one aren't you? What would your mother say?"

The beast stood up on its hind legs, revealing her human face again.

"My... my mommy?" she asked in confusion.

"Goodbye sweetie," Azami said before blasting the beast square in the face with a bright purple ether beam that lit up the entire stadium.

Once everyone recovered from that blinding light, the beast fell backwards, its life leaving its body.

"Oh... I... I just wanted... to play...," she said with a sniffle.

I walked up to the beast and put my hand in its large, clawed hands.

"Rest easy, child. Go see your mom, she's waiting," I said, trying to ease her pain.

"M-My mommy... she's... waiting? For me?" she asked in her tortured voice.

...

https/youtu.be/wTTeu_iEQqA

"I don't want to go outside Mommy!" the young girl said, arguing with her mom.

"Listen hunny, I want you to go make friends! You can't expect to go your whole life without talking to anyone do you? Our life on Indol is hard enough, please?" her mother pleaded.

"The boys only want to play war and the girls all think I'm a freak!" the girl argued.

"Baby, you're still so young. With all these rumors of war, you are going to want to have friends! I just want you to try, for me!" the Mother continued.

"NO! I WON'T DO IT!" she yelled as she ran to her tent.

The refugees all lived in a big tent society on Indol, which was a very small Titan. The people protested blades day and night, and how they only caused war. Now that's all anyone talked about, and she wanted no part of it. To be honest, she had met a blade once, a pretty fire blade with a bright green core crystal. Though they never exchanged words, the little girl couldn't help but feel that blades weren't evil. After all, how could someone so pretty be bad? That's why she was considered such a freak.

She didn't leave that tent again, so she didn't know that her parents would never see her again.

"Mommy? Where are you?" she called out, leaving her tent. She felt so bad about earlier, her mom just wanted her not to be so lonely, and she had pushed her mom away over it.

"Mommy? I'm sorry! I'll be a good girl from now on... I- I promise!" she called, but there was no answer.

In fact, there was no one around. Maybe one of the Indoline guards would know?

"Have you seen my mommy?" she asked one of the guards.

"It seems we missed one," he said. "Round her up with the rest, we have a schedule to keep."

For the next few months, she was tortured and experimented on. The pain she endured throughout that time, it's the only thing she could remember. She kept forgetting about the way her body changed, the way she had claws and a murderous voice. Her body throbbed and throbbed and wouldn't stop throbbing. The whole time she would only scream, or whimper, the same phrase.

"I'm sorry Mommy, I promise I'll be a good girl!"

...

"I-I promise... to be good," the monster said one more time before her body finally stopped throbbing.

I was engulfed in a pure rage.

"HOW COULD YOU?!" I shouted out into the crowd. "HOW COULD YOU LET HER KEEP LIVING LIKE THIS?!"

The crowds were half cheering and half booing. Soon, Juliani's voice came over the loudspeaker.

"I'm afraid we can't hear you peon, we're in an arena of over one thousand people, your voice is lost, but you look angry! Was that fight too easy? Well fear not! We have round two approaching as we speak! Let's get ready ladies!" she announced as the crowd went up in a roar.

I only remembered praying that the next thing I had to fight wasn't anything like that...

...

"Master, we have passed through Gormott and will be arriving at Argentum next," KOS-MOS announced to Acacia.

Acacia sighed. "Why did you start calling me that again?"

KOS-MOS didn't respond.

"Fine, whatever, just get us there soon."

She knew they didn't have long. Who knew what Juliani had planned for him?

All Acacia could do, was vow to get there as soon as possible.

After that, they'd save Mythra.

Readability Level: 11-12th Grade

Time Taken: 4 Hours


	56. Chapter LVI

Book VII: A Master and his Doll

Chapter LVI

"I can't believe we're doing this! This feels so wrong!" Electra squealed in a panicked voice.

"Electra calm down!" Nim said.

"It's simple, we were told to provide reconnaissance, so what better way to get information is there than on the inside?" Floren explained.

"I know that!" Electra sighed. "I just want to know how you got us passed the guards when we couldn't!"

Nim stopped for a sec. "Yeah that was impressive... how did you do that?"

"Alright guys, fine. I'll explain my inexplicable charm to you," Floren said with a wink.

...

"No peons allowed! Get lost!" S the guard had said to Nim.

"But I'm a girl just like all the girls in there!" Nim had argued.

"Well you look like too much of a dog to be of any interest to someone like Juliani's. Get lost!"

"What about me?" Electra had asked, striking a beautiful pose.

"A child has no place in here," the guard had said, shutting her down.

"Oh boys!" Floren had called out as he had walked toward the guards. "Won't you let us inside for me?"

"Oh come on Floren! You're not even a-" Electra had begun before Nim covered her mouth.

The guards had studied Floren for a bit. "A little flat but very cute. Alright, you may all enter."

...

"You just have to be charming!" Floren concluded.

"Pretty sure he just thought you were a girl...," Nim muttered.

Floren sighed, scouring the area. "He can think whatever he wants, what's important is we're in. Also where is everyone? This club's empty!"

Electra looked around before she remembered something. "Oh yeah! They're all in the arena watching some weirdo fight monsters!"

Nim seemed confused. "How do you know?"

Electra smirked. "It's all on this big TV right here!"

Somehow both Nim and Floren missed the giant broadcasting TV in the middle of the room.

"Wait a minute...," Floren said, looking closer at the screen.

"What is it?" Nim and Electra asked together.

"That's not a random weirdo! That's Silas!"

"Who?" Electra asked.

Nim sighed. "Focus would you? The Aegis' driver?"

"Oh yeah! He was a weirdo!" Electra giggled.

"No time! We gotta go help him!" Nim states firmly.

"It's time to be useful," Floren shouted. "The Merry Band of Misfits will triumph!"

...

"Alright ladies and peons it's time for the next challenger to make its appearance!" Praxis said through the loudspeaker as a large door began clanking open.

"This creation is something of legend. It was rumored to have actually taken on the third driver of the Aegis. As fictional as that story is, the power this creation possesses is far from a myth."

I expected something much darker than the last thing I fought, and the loud thud of footsteps approaching me didn't void those expectations by any means.

"For those of you who don't know," Juliani explained. "One of my ancestors, Bana, was a great rival of the engineer Tora. He created this being and it's power is masked by the fact that it's..."

A large, mechanical... creature revealed itself. It resembled Lila, Poppi's "sister", however it was giant and... chibi? It had on the same maid dress Lila wore, and even had black hair and red eyes. It's head was disproportionally bigger than its body and had some sort of symbol on its head in a language I didn't understand.

"ABSOLUTELY ADORABLE!" Juliani squealed.

"Driver do you ever get the feeling that you've lost complete control of your life?" Azami asked me.

In response to all of the emotions flowing in me, between that poor girl, to the ridiculousness of this robot, to how stupid in general this whole crowd was, I couldn't help but laugh, a stressed, confused, ridiculous laugh. "All the time."

"Ladies and peons, may I present? TRUE ROSA!" Praxis shouted as the crowd roared out in cheers.

https/youtu.be/muVgKZBvrww

True Rosa raised her giant, but proportionally tiny, arms as it began shooting out missiles everywhere.

Azami grabbed me from behind and surrounded us with an ether shield as they exploded around us.

"Oh... I guess they were serious," I said as I watched the ground blow into the air around us.

"Do you have any plans, my adorable driver?" Azami questioned.

"Honestly," I said without too much thought. "I feel like we should just hit it really, really hard. With that giant head it can't be too agile, let's just smash it."

"Very well, oh this is exhilarating!" Azami exclaimed as she dropped her ether shields.

I loaded an earth ether gem into the sword to increase my impact before charging the machine head on.

True Rosa's eyes began glowing a brighter red as it shot out a laser beam and spun its head around in a complete three sixty. I narrowly blocked with with my ether shield before closing in further.

It took its arm and tried to swat at me, but Azami directly hit it with a blast from her ether cannon.

I went in and jumped up, grabbing on the hem of Rosa's dress, and I began climbing it.

Rosa began focusing on Azami, who kept up with the shots.

True Rosa began shooting out a multitude of missiles towards Azami, and I realized I needed to be quicker.

I clutched onto its dress and began climbing faster, trying to reach its head before it tried knocking me off.

I made it up to her little bow and latched with my right hand as I clutched my sword in my left, I then slammed the point of the sword into her chin, throwing her onto the ground and blowing me off of her. I flew back about twenty feet and landed with a thud as I slid back into Azami, who had reacted and stopped me from sliding further.

I stood up on one knee quickly and grabbed Azami's ether cannon as we shouted. "Evil Ensemble!"

Azami danced in a circle as waves of dark ether swept over the toppled True Rosa, and I used the ether cannon to fire a large blast, successfully blowing Rosa away. Although I couldn't help but notice something peculiar...

"I-Is... Is Rosa wearing panties?" I questioned, completely confused.

"How dare you, pervert!" Azami scolded.

"It's a robot! Why does it need those?! I can't be at fault for noticing!" I snapped back.

"That doesn't give you the right! But still I guess I could overlook such a dirty mind from my once innocent driver," Azami continued.

Out of nowhere, a missile landed about a few feet from us, knocking us both to the ground. We then realized that Rosa had been standing up.

"A conversation for later, I guess," I decided as I slowly got up, trying to refocus.

"What do we do now, my driver?"

"I've already severely damaged its head part. I'm going to run ahead, I need you to use me as a springboard and get a direct hit on its head, that'll finish it."

"Oh my...," Azami gasped. "I had no idea you were into being treated roughly, my delightful driver."

I shuddered. "Can you focus please?!"

Azami giggled. "Very well."

I ran forward, but I couldn't help but notice one thing. True Rosa was lifting itself off the ground... it had... a jetpack?

"Watch out, love!" Azami shouted.

I realized a large blue cloud was barreling at me. I immediately used my ether shield to block it, but the metal parts began freezing. Luckily, the attack stopped before my forearm was frozen with it. I then turned around, holding my shield at an angle for Azami to jump from. I crouched underneath it in preparation.

Azami rushed towards me as Rosa returned to the ground. As she hit my shield, I sprung up and she jumped, launching her in the air as she aimed her weapon.

True Rosa wasn't prepared to go that easily, however. Azami blasted Rosa in the face as Rosa smacked her into the ground at an intense speed.

Rosa fell down, completely defeated, and Azami landed, almost hitting me. I picked her up carefully.

"Azami! Are you ok?!" I asked her.

She let out a weak giggle. "You look so cute when you're worried."

"I would've never told you to do that if I knew this would happen," I promised.

"D-Don't worry," she said. "If you did it you would've died. I'll... be fine."

She began trying to stand up.

"No, just rest for now. We have a brief moment before the next fight, just try to recover."

I so desperately wanted to tell her I could handle the third round, but I honestly didn't think that was true.

The crowd was cheering wildly, and booing at the same time.

"That blade is too powerful!"

"This is why all blade's should be banned!"

It didn't make sense to me. Didn't they know that the only reason Adonis hadn't completely taken them all over was because the BAP held him back? The blades they hated so much were the last thing protecting them from the loss of all their freedom to a man they celebrated as a genius. All because he "invented" a weapon even more dangerous than anything a normal blade could do. They treated him like a protector, they treated Juliani like some sort of righteous karma, and none of it was right. And yet, nothing I could ever say would change their minds. Not now, not ever. How was I supposed to save a world that seemed to only want to destroy itself in self-righteousness?

"Well done peon!" Juliani cheered. "That was a brilliant display, I must admit you're quite entertaining for a peon. However I'm afraid you're woefully unprepared for round three."

The floor in the middle of the arena began opening up as it was revealed that large metal shutters were concealed beneath the ground, and a platform could be heard rising to the surface.

I felt something... awful, yet familiar. It reminded me of Mythra, which didn't ease my worry. We were about to fight something on par with an Aegis.

...

"Turn on the TV," Malos demanded as he rushed into the living room of the ship.

"What's got you in a rush?" Acacia questioned. "I've never seen any form of excitement in your eyes. Besides, we've been watching Silas fight for awhile now... I don't think he can hold out much longer."

He looked at the TV and let out a chuckle.

"Well would you look at that...," Malos smirked. "I never thought I'd see you again old friend."

"What are you-?" Acacia began before gasping at the TV.

On the platform rose a robot of a much sleeker design than Rosa's. It looked like a giant man, painted black and purple with an enormous halo. The wings on its back resembled an X, with trails of crimson red ether energy forming the winged parts.

"What the devil is that?" Gabriel questioned.

Malos seemed overjoyed. "Say hello to Siren. MY Siren."

Readability Level: 11-12th Grade

Time Taken: 5 Hours


	57. Chapter LVII

Book VII: A Master and his Doll

Chapter LVII

"Hey, before you leave, I want your story," Acacia demanded from Canaan.

"Why? I don't see the point. The less you know about me, the better," Canaan replied glumly.

Acacia sighed. "Because there's a more than decent chance that you'll end up fighting my sister, and you know that. What's your reasoning? More importantly than that, I want to know who the hell you actually are."

Canaan, while annoyed, understood. Honestly he hadn't even told King Zeke the full story, but maybe getting the whole thing clear in his head would help him focus on the coming battle.

"Very well, however I will not repeat it, so listen close."

...

An Ardainian marrying a Gormotti, this was a relationship that was considered unthinkable. Well... it would've been a couple hundred years ago. As of modern day, it was more common for people of different races to marry each other. A descendant of two different races was simply called "New Tornan", and in the new world, it was more than honorable to have that title. Then unthinkable part stemmed more from an Ardanian man leaving Mor Ardain. Alba Cavanich was a terrible place; people stuffed into unlivable circumstances, living in constant slavery, and only existing to amass debt. My father wanted nothing more than to get his two children out of this hell hole.

"If we leave, we will be hunted til the day we die," my mother had said with concern.

"If we stay, that day will come much sooner than either of us want," he responded.

He had always been strong, but in Alba Cavanich, it didn't matter how strong you were. People only cared for what they could take from you or get out of you, whether by slave labor, extortion, or straight burglary.

Zane and I had wanted nothing more than to simply grow up normally. However you could tell by our hobbies that that would never happen. Zane had accidentally blown up a building at the age of four, simply by playing with the wrong electronics, and I had a terrible knack for picking fights that didn't involve me. I would love to say I had the best intentions, but if you so much as looked at me funny I'd be the first to knock a tooth out. I was only eight, but I was very protective of Zane and Finch, most of my fights were simply because Finch forgot something or Zane caused a malfunction that ended up pissing someone else off.

"Pack your bags boys," our dad had told us. "We leave by train at midnight, get your rest, you'll need it."

Little did we know that we were about to make a big mistake.

Midnight came all too quickly and we rushed to the train station as quickly possible, but not before we got cut off by one of the people dad owed money to, and three lackeys.

"You didn' think you was gonna get away now didja?" he said in his gross accent.

"I'll stay then, let my children and my wife go," my dad offered. He wasn't a fool, but maybe he could reason with them.

"Oh no! No no no no no. Y'see pal, you owe me a debt, and these are yer dependents, yeah? The way I sees it, they owe me just like their ol' man does," he explained.

Finch threw my dad her weapon without hesitation. The large, two-handed club in his hands began glowing with ether.

"GO NOW!" he yelled as mother grabbed us and ran towards the train.

The men had pulled out rifles of some kind and attempted to fire at us, but our mom had an ether shield, and she used it to protect us from the bullets.

My dad seemed as if he knew this was going to happen from the very start, and he ended up clubbing two of the lackeys down quickly as Finch shielded him.

Our mom got us on the train quickly and it readied itself for departure.

"What about Dad?! We can't leave without him!" I yelled as I tried to kick myself out of my mother's grasp.

"This is what he wanted," my mom choked out.

I looked at her face. It was red and she couldn't stop herself from crying.

I had never seen my mom cry before, not once ever. When I looked at her face, my heart sank. I knew what this meant, what my father was doing, even when I refused to believe it, I knew. Seeing the tears stream down her face broke me, in a way I'd never be able to explain.

Once my father knew we were safe, I watched the man shoot him in the head. My father had finally paid his debt.

"Mommy where are we going?" Zane asked. "Where is Daddy?" He hadn't seen his father fall to the floor in a bloody mess. Mom wouldn't let him, but she couldn't stop me, I fought her too hard.

I was always stubborn, I had always been angry, but the feeling I felt at that moment was far more than anger. I didn't have a word in my vocabulary to truly describe what I felt, I only described it as one thing, hatred. I wanted to watch those men shriek in pain as I carved them out, I wanted to see the blood pour, I wanted to smell their fear. However, I stood there, powerless, unable to do anything but watch as my father and Finch were both taken from me.

"We're going to Torigoth, you guys will finally be able to meet your grandparents," my mother explained with all of the strength she could muster.

"B-But... where's my daddy?" Zane asked again. "Where did he go."

"Well... he's-" my mom started, trying to find a way to explain it to him.

"He's gone," I said, angrily. "He's gone, and he's never coming back."

I wish that had been everything that I had to deal with that day, but the train made a brief stop between Alba Cavanich and New Torna before it would continue and eventually work its way around to Torigoth, and a man pulled a gun on my mom and shot her point blank.

"Regards from the boss," he had said.

I knew my mom had kept a knife strapped to her leg, but there had been no time for her to react, but I could. I pulled the knife and plunged it into his leg, tearing through his flesh. I then dragged it down and couldn't help but smile as he screamed in pain.

He fell to his knees and I was able to look him dead in the eye as I drove my knife into his eye.

"Die you pig," I stated as I watched his face turn pale and the light disappear from his eyes.

... 

"We didn't want to go to Torigoth, because we were scared that we'd get our grandparents killed too, so we lived alone in New Torna. I learned to control my anger and find a way to fight those who took advantage of others as an assassin, and my brother kept playing with electronics until he found ways to help me become a better assassin. I had always wanted him to leave me and move on with his own life. And when he told me he had gotten a girlfriend, I thought that maybe he was finally getting smart," Canaan explained.

"So that's what mission she was on before I left...," Acacia said in realization. "I'm... sorry."

"Don't be, it's not your fault, but I promise, when I get the chance she will die," Canaan couldn't stop himself from saying that.

Acacia nodded, it wasn't the response Canann thought she'd have to hearing that he'd kill kill her sister.

"My relationship with my sibling wasn't like yours, maybe if her heart stops, she'll finally get the rest she deserves. Go, and don't hold back," Acacia stated.

...

https/youtu.be/UmnQXyiIFp4

And now Canaan stood outside the BCCHQ, ready for his assault. He could tell Adonis wasn't in there, and neither was Mythra, but that had only been a secondary reason for him. The primary reason was there.

He was going to kill Violet Uzuzki, or die trying.

Readability Level: 9-10th Grade

Time Taken: 1 Hour


	58. Chapter LVIII

Book VII: A Master and his Doll

Chapter LVIII

"Canaan I'm boooored," Finch whined as he was getting ready to enter the BCCHQ.

"I didn't ask you to come along, why didn't you go with Acacia?" he questioned.

"You treat me like I'm family, and I don't want to leave you on your own...," she said, blushing and looking away.

Canaan sighed at the little green bird girl.

"Just please be careful, I don't want to see you get hurt."

"Wait, I just realized something!" she stated urgently.

"What?"

"I have absolutely no idea why we're here," Finch chirped.

Canaan sighed. "C'mon you birdbrain, let's go fight Violet."

"You're not planning on letting her live... are you?" she asked.

"I'll do what is necessary, don't come if you're not prepared to do the same."

Finch shook her head. "I'm staying with you, let's go."

Canaan moved quickly, he had already done scans of the entire building. There were BCC soldiers on every floor except for one of the top ones, and he knew which floor she would be waiting for him on. The arena, the very same one that Silas had fought Adonis on the very first time. Adonis typically used it to show the world "his" new feats in weaponry in the name of protecting the people of New Torna and the world, it's these displays that gave much of the world unyielding confidence in him.

Canaan pulled out a tool he had grabbed from his old house, he couldn't believe Adonis hadn't raided it for Zane's tech..., but then again he also didn't think Adonis would've been capable of getting past Zane's security.

He cut a hole in the window with it, as it emitted an extremely intense wave of particles that could cut through anything given enough time. He dropped in silently as the lights brought the room to life.

The floor, roof, and walls were all a metal he hadn't seen too much of, probably remnants of Elysium. He looked across the room to see someone standing in the empty shell of a room, it was Violet's blade, T-Elos.

"I don't have time for you, blade. Where's your driver?" Canaan shouted at her.

T-Elos responded with a smirk.

"Cantaloupe look out!" Finch squealed.

Canaan immediately turned around to see Violet behind him. With one quick motion, she backhanded him with enough force to send him reeling about twenty feet back. Luckily, he had deployed an ether shield at the last second and didn't take the blow directly.

As he stood up, T-Elos zoomed in with her giant scythe and attempted to relieve his shoulders of his head.

He rolled under the slash and slashed her abdomen with his short sword. She winced and returned to her driver's side as the wound healed immediately.

"You know, your reflexes are much better than your brother's were, I won't lie," she giggled. "Also I'm pretty sure your blade forgot your name, that's kinda sad coming from something you worked so hard to get."

"Did not!" Finch shouted defensively. "I totally said Cannon, which is his name!"

"Drop it Finch," Canaan ordered as he sheathed his short sword. He then deployed the last ether field on the planet, the same one that allowed him to kill Mòrag.

"If you think that little trinket's gonna save you, you're dead wrong. But please, by all means, underestimate me," she said with a wink.

"I hate you, with everything I have. I've killed people with inhuman abilities beyond what you can understand, you will be easy," Canaan threatened as Finch handed him her one-handed ether mallet.

"You talk as much as your brother, did I ever tell you I stole his virginity and his life?" she stopped talking to giggle. "That's two things neither he nor you can get back, how about I make that stupid bird next? At this point I'm on a roll!"

https/youtu.be/8wAFdldgrWo

"She's just baiting you Canaan, focus and win!" Canaan thought to himself.

He ran at her as she pulled out a katana with the symbol of a rose on it, it was the color of blood.

Canaan immediately had a rush of thoughts enter his head, none of which were his own. His head was filled with screams of terror and one line that repeated itself over and over again.

"The day the Crimson Butterfly wars against the Crimson Rose, history will change."

"W... What are you doing to me?" Canaan shouted.

"Changing history," she stated before rushing towards him.

Before he could even blink, he was on the ground, and blood was pooling from his leg.

"You... that sword is physical!" Canaan uttered in realization.

"Oh did you want ether? My bad..." Violet changed her stance. "Leaves of Suffering!"

Ethereal vines began shooting from the ground, spewing leaves out in all directions. However, it couldn't break through Canaan's ether barrier. The impact of the attack did leave bruises, however.

"Cain!" Finch shouted as she ran towards him, grabbing her weapon.

T-Elos rushed her, slashing her scythe. Finch held her stance and slid to the left, avoiding the slash. She was then wrapped in a tornado of wind as she slammed her mallet into T-Elos, sending her flying.

Finch helped her driver up.

"I won't forget you again!" Finch cried out.

"I won't let you," Canaan uttered.

He pulled a piece of metal out of his pocket as it extended out into a hoverboard, the last piece of technology he could salvage.

He jumped on it and Finch hopped on the back, he moved as fast as it would allow. He pulled his ether pistol and unloaded an entire clip of earth ether bullets at her, shaking the entire room.

"NOW FINCH!" Canaan shouted as he aimed straight for her, lodging his broadsword into the front of the hoverboard and leaving a little surprise on the top.

Finch spun around quickly while shouting "Perfect Storm".

She tripped over her own feet, releasing the hammer directly in Violet's direction.

Canaan grabbed her, wrapped himself around her, and jumped off, hitting the ground with a hard roll.

Violet could barely see through all of the ether bullets he had fired, and Finch's hammer hit her directly in the face, blowing her against one of the walls hard enough to dent the metal around her. Before she could react, the hoverboard slammed into her, impaling her with the broadsword. Canaan then hit a button that detonated his "little surprise", leaving one hell of an explosion.

T-Elos gasped. "Mistress, are you ok?!"

"We did it!" Finch shouted excitedly.

Canaan tried to run towards where Violet was, but couldn't due to his leg injury.

"No, we didn't," he coughed out. "T-Elos wouldn't be here otherwise!"

As the smoke cleared, Violet emerged, looking more pissed off then hurt.

"That was a cheeky trick, but you'll need to do a lot better than that to kill me."

"Finch, stay with me," Canaan warned her.

He was then wrapped in a bunch of thorny ether vines as she got right in his face,

Canaan forced a laugh. "What happened to that cocky smile of yours?"

Violet smirked sarcastically before turning his face into a punching bag. She took a stance and beat his head, and once blood began splattering out, she only hit him harder.

"Are you proud of yourself now?" she asked.

"I've been on worse dates," he said between heavy breathing and trying to not choke on his own blood.

"Funny, I didn't think you were the dating type of guy."

Canaan wanted to keep talking, but he no longer had the energy, he was losing blood fast. What's more, his ether protection was shattering.

"Well this is boring, but I'll at least give you the satisfaction of making it past first base," she said as her sword flew into her hand. "Only I'm sticking it in."

She then proceeded to put her sword through his abdomen, causing him to cough out blood.

"Canaan!" Finch cried, she then tried to run at him, before she was crushed into the ground.

"I'm going to enjoy watching you squirm you bird," T-Elos said as she pressed her heel into Finch.

"I'm so sorry... Finch...," Canaan said as he began to lose consciousness.

"I believe I told you not to bloody die, right? You're not done repaying your debts!"

"Why does that sound like... Gabriel?" Canaan thought to himself.

A bright flash of light tore through the room, immediately blinding everyone. Violet screamed and lost control of her ether, releasing Canaan.

That was the last thing he could remember before he lost all consciousness.

Readability Level: 11-12th Grade

Time Taken: 2.5 Months- 3 Hours


	59. Chapter LIX

Book VII Finale

Chapter LIX

"Ladies and peons I have a special treat for you today," Juliani announced excitedly. "Slightly less than 500 years ago a good friend of my forefather found manuscripts that contained information on the inner workings of the Aegis herself. This mass of energy is what is believed to have sunk three continents 1,000 years ago and almost caused the end of the world 500 years ago! It was discovered in the depths of Morytha and brought back to this new Alrest on a titan. It took generations of nopon in my family to understand this creation, but I, the most powerful and intelligent woman to ever exist, have reconstructed under my command. Now it will be what kills this illegal driver once and for all."

I looked up at the robotic monstrosity. It was massive, painted black, and had blood red ethereal wings. One thing that seemed to bother me though, was that it had no halo. I seemed to remember Mythra's Siren having a large halo, but this one had none. It also bothered me that the color scheme matched Malos' core crystal.

"D-Do you have a plan?" Azami asked me. She still hadn't gotten off the ground. The fight with True Rosa had really done a number on her. Even with her wounds instantly regenerating, she was at her limit, and I wasn't doing much better.

https/youtu.be/9YV3ic-dyOQ

It began to shift its stance as it began pointing a large metal piece at me, and bright light began shining from the tip.

"I think getting out of here is a good first step!" I said, pulling her off the ground in a panic.

"We can't dodge that!" Azami argued as she got up as quickly as possible.

"I don't imagine we have much of a choice!"

I grabbed her hand and pulled her behind me as I ran as fast as possible.

She yanked her hand away from me and stood between Siren and I and deployed her ether shield.

"DAMNIT AZAMI THAT WON'T WORK!" I screamed at her.

"I'M NOT ABOUT TO LOSE ANOTHER DRIVER!" she said with a tear streaming down her one good eye.

"Y-You remember your last driver?" I asked, confused.

She nodded. "I... I'm scared, I don't want to keep forgetting them... THIS ISN'T HOW I WANT TO LIVE!"

Siren began to fire, and I hugged her from behind, deploying my ether shield so that there'd be even more to protect us.

"Wh-What are you doing?" Azami questioned.

"I don't want to live knowing I left you to die, we'll take it together."

She seemed to blush just a tiny bit. Well... it was either that or her exterior was reacting to the heat of a laser meant to wipe out continents heading towards us.

Luckily it didn't hit, or... that's what I would've liked to say. It did hit, and it hurt, a lot. The sand and dirt around us melted into a glass and our ether shields were eradicated into dust as the searing hot rays of pure light tore through our bodies. I watched the skin and blood evaporate off my very bones that then proceeded to turn to dust.

I was dead, and Azami's core crystal evaporated immediately.

I wondered if there was anything I could've done differently, at this moment. I knew it had to be a low powered blast, Juliani wouldn't risk the safety of everyone in the audience or her image trying to kill me. After all, it had all been a huge publicity stunt.

I did notice something peculiar though, the beam was hot enough to instantly turn the dirt into glass, but there was a harder material underneath. I then realized that the entire floor in the arena was made of a thick layer of lead. I was even willing to bet that Juliani had lined the entire place for this very purpose...

As this came to my realization I looked around to see me holding Azami, bracing for the end. What had happened?

All I knew was I needed to act fast.

I grabbed Azami's ether cannon off from my back and shot the ground full blast, repeatedly.

Her cannon was much more powerful than usual, and it began knocking insane amounts of dirt in the air as Siren fired off his blast.

Azami ran up to me as I tried to lift a piece of the lead off the ground that I had broken off with the cannon. She helped me lift it up and we slid underneath. We could hear the sand turn into glass and I had suffered severe burns from the blast. I made it without a second to spare.

"What on Alrest just happened?!" Azami questioned.

"I realized we were only dying because our bodies couldn't handle the amount of radiation hitting us, so I used the lead," I explained, but I couldn't talk much more, I was in severe pain. My whole body was covered in blisters and any movement at all made me want to faint.

Azami wanted to ask more questions, but she could tell I wasn't doing good.

She threw off the piece of lead and aimed her ether cannon at Siren, letting off blast after blast. Weirdly enough, she was actually staggering it.

"The closer my driver is to death, the more powerful my cannon is. You've messed with the wrong blade," she yelled.

Siren pulled out what looked like some sort of metal sword, but with a blade made of energy and a handle as long as the blade itself. He took aim at Azami, and I couldn't do anything about it.

Just then, aloud whirring came from the sky as a ship appeared from the top, and what looked like some purple sparkle came flying down towards Siren.

...

"Malos now!" Acacia ordered. "And don't die!"

"Aw you care about me?" Malos teased.

Acacia sighed and nodded.

Malos rolled his eyes. "Well fine, don't worry then."

KOS-MOS guided the ship over Siren and Malos jumped out, wielding his Monado and aiming it at his former artifice.

"Looks like you are in need of reprogramming, you traitorous toy!" he shouted as he plunged into it.

"MONADO BUSTER!" he yelled as he plunged his Monado into Siren's head.

"No... No! No! No!" Malos yelled. "What did she do to you?!"

Malos sighed as he took his Monado and jumped off, keeping his sword inside Siren. His Monado grew larger to accommodate the large target, and Malos cut his Siren clean in half.

KOS-MOS landed and Acacia jumped off first, she looked around quickly to see Azami kneeling over some red splotch on the ground.

Only that wasn't a red splotch, that was Silas. His body was so marred that she couldn't even tell he was a person. His clothes were mostly burned off.

"SILAS!" she shrieked as she ran towards him, dropping to the ground.

I coughed a bit, "You w-wouldn't happen to have any burn cream... would you?"

"Shut up you dumbass! What were you thinking, going off on your own?!" Acacia shouted. She wanted to do something, anything, but she was powerless.

"Take him to Nia, and you can save him," a voice said inside her head.

Acacia felt my heart, but there was nothing there.

Fear gripped her as realization struck.

"HIS HEART'S STOPPED!"

"Take him to-"

"I HEARD YOU THE FIRST TIME! HE'S ALREADY GONE!" Acacia began crying.

"FLOREN HE NEEDS HELP!" a tiny voice shrieked.

"Electra get away from there! You don't need to see that!" Nim scolded, trying not to let her see Silas' corpse.

Unfortunately Electra was already crying.

"We're too late. He's dead and it's all our faults! We can't do anything right!" she began blubbering.

Floren was devastated, but he ran to Silas anyway.

"You... You're a healing blade!" Acacia realized. "You have to help him!"

Floren already had tears going down his face. "I-I can't heal this! I mess everything up! There's no way I can do something like this!"

"Please!" Acacia begged. "Please just try, you're all he has left, no one else can do this!"

Floren nodded. "I-I'll try."

Floren grabbed his bit ball and began using it to perform ether healing on Silas, but it was doing nothing physically for him.

"I... I can't do anything like this... But I'm not going to give up," Floren swore to himself.

Acacia felt my chest as she began to whimper, but then something seemed off.

"His... heart is beating!" Acacia shouted.

Azami had been fighting herself from returning to her core crystal, but all of a sudden she didn't have to anymore.

"If I stop healing him, he will die again," Floren sighed. "I'm only increasing his suffering and delaying the inevitable."

"I know someone who can heal him," Acacia said. "I need you to keep healing him until we get there."

"We're not allowed to leave Argentum," Electra pointed out.

"Dromarch and his rules can stuff it! We have a job to do am I'm not about to mess it up," Floren said with a very authoritative tone. "Misfits, we accompany them wherever they go until we get him where he needs to go. Now move!"

"Yes sir!" they both said.

"Thank you," Acacia responded graciously. "Azami, help me get him back to the ship, we have to get to Leftheria.

"Not so fast!" another voice said.

They turned to see Praxis and Theory running up to them.

"You're gonna pay for what you did to Siren!" Praxis yelled.

KOS-MOS had joined in, and Azami motioned her to take Silas out of her hands.

"Go, I have some heads to roll," Azami said in a tone no one had heard before.

Acacia nodded and they quickly began moving.

Praxis grabbed her large lance and prepared to throw it at Silas, but Azami grabbed the lance and shoved Praxis into Theory.

"Do you honestly think you can take us both at once?" Praxis asked, obviously annoyed.

https/youtu.be/yzf3fOLkD-Y

"I think you two don't know your place," Azami snapped. "But don't worry, I'll fix your broken points of few."

Theory pulled her sword. "Fine but don't expect us to-"

She couldn't finish her sentence because Azami had blasted her square in the face.

"Theory!" Praxis shouted before turning to engage Azami.

Azami pulled a short sword from seemingly nowhere and met her megalance.

"Where did that come from?!" Praxis remarked in confusion.

"I'd personally be more concerned with the grenade I slipped in your shirt," Azami said with a cackle.

"You didn't!"

Azami giggled as she jumped away. Praxis immediately checked her shit, pulling out a grenade. However, the pin wasn't pulled.

"You were bluffing?!" Praxis asked, more freaked out than anything else.

Instead of giving an answer, Azami gave her a smile and shot the grenade with a pistol she also pulled from seemingly nowhere.

Praxis flew back, weapon flying out of her hand and face planting itself in the dirt.

Theory drew her sword again and went at Azami again, who was more than happy to engage her again.

Azami swung her sword, parrying hard against Theory's. Azami began dancing around in a ballet fashion while slashing her sword carelessly and roughly, unnerving Theory.

Theory finally grew tired and slashed quickly, but Azami pulled a dagger and parried the sword.

"WHAT?!" Theory gasped.

Azami giggled and Theory realized that Azami was no longer holding a sword, but a gun. Azami then proceeded to shoot Theory square in the forehead.

Praxis jumped back in and Azami pulled out a whip, tying it around Praxis' neck and then using it to fling the water blade around like a ragdoll.

Theory cut the whip, causing Praxis to be launched into the air, and then she slashed once again at Azami.

Azami blocked with her ether cannon this time, and then shoved into Theory's face, knocking her hard over the head. She then aimed it at Praxis, who was currently falling, and shot her out of the air.

"You damn ugly bitch!" Theory shouted as she began slicing at Azami once again.

Azami was using two short swords this time, parrying with ease.

"Judging people by how they look is so rude," Azami pouted as she knocked the sword out of her hand.

Azami then impaled Theory completely, narrowly missing her core crystal.

"I won't kill you yet," Azami giggled. "This is way too much fun!"

Azami kicked her in the stomach, knocking her off of her sword.

Praxis caught Theory and reminded her that they'd have to fight together.

"Geyser Spring!" Praxis shouted as a large stream of water erupted from her weapon.

"Rebel Sister!" Theory continued as the water forced itself into icicles.

Azami smiled at the large amount of ether heading towards her and she aimed her ether cannon.

"Shadow Rhapsody," she muttered with a sinister grin.

The ice shattered into nothing as dark hands began emerging from the ground, and soon they collided into Praxis and Theory.

They both hit the ground, and as they began standing up again, a small device landed next to them.

It was an earth ether grenade.

They screamed as they were once again blown into the air with a large amount of force. And Azami began humming to herself as she blasted both of them with her ether cannon.

"Are you two even trying?" Azami questioned. "This is getting boring."

"I'll show you boring you sadist!" Praxis shouted as she stumbled her way off the ground.

"Judging someone by their actions?! That's much better!" Azami commended.

"Torrential Pain!" Praxis said as the arena was covered in water ether moving at high speeds.

Azami was caught in the waves and was thrown around in them.

Theory placed her sword in the water ether, "Winter's Wake."

The water was bombarded with a large amount of ice strikes, freezing the water, and Azami inside of it.

Praxis and Theory ran to her frozen body and Theory prepared to strike her core crystal.

"Wait, where's her ether cannon?" Praxis questioned before ether blasts began raining from above.

They were both pelted relentlessly and the ice was broken. The ether cannon landed back into Azami's hands.

Azami grabbed Praxis' hair and slammed her head into the barrel of her ether cannon repeatedly, before forcing it up against the tip.

"Goodbye bubbles," Azami chirped before melting her entire head off with a single blast.

The sheer amount of damage caused Praxis' AI to overload and she was forced back into her core crystal. Azami then put the core crystal into the same place she kept all of her weapons, not that anyone knew where that was.

"Y-You monster!" Theory shouted.

"You don't understand," Azami said, much more seriously. "You messed with the one and only thing I care about. Without my driver, I am nothing in this world, and to watch you act like he deserves to die has sickened me to my core. I want to watch you die screaming, and even then you still will never understand the pain you have put into my soulless heart. Now come here, and I'll make sure you sleep peacefully."

Theory began breathing erratically, she was shaking and gasping uncontrollably.

"N-NO! Stay back! I mean it!" she was practically crying.

"Oh just like you stopped when my driver was crying, when he BEGGED you to stop? You deserve everything that is coming your way, and your driver will get what's coming to her one day."

Ice spikes began growing from Theory's elbows and from her hand, creating a sort of offensive armor.

"STAY BACK YOU WITCH!"

Azami sighed, "And we're back to appearances, oh well, at least you look like you might be some fun this time!"

Theory rushed her quickly, slicing faster and harder than she ever had before.

"So scared," Azami giggled as she parried with her ether cannon.

Azami fought back even harder, switching weapons faster than what Theory could keep up with. She broke off piece after piece after piece of the ice, chipping away at what little power Theory had left.

Theory tried another slash, but Azami caught her blade with her hand, and snapped it.

Theory then tried crawling away, and Azami picked her up by her hair, just like Praxis.

Azami placed the end of the gun to the back of Theory's head as she squirmed and tried to escape.

"Goodbye Frosty!" she uttered before overloading Theory's AI as well, forcing her back into her core.

With both crystals in her possession, Azami quickly jumped on the aircraft as it began taking off.

...

"What are you going to do with those core crystals?" Acacia asked Azami. "I guess if we resonate with them, we could put them on a better path. Or we could donate them to BAP, where they could make the world a better pla-"

She was cut off by the loud sound of wind rushing into the ship as Azami opened the door, with nothing but an endless ocean below. She then grabbed the two core crystals and flung them out the window before closing the door.

"Azami what the hell?!" Acacia shouted.

"They should be thankful," Azami giggled. "I wanted to break them, but I don't think my adoring driver would approve."

Malos, who had been watching the entire time, stood up to exit the room.

"Remind me never to get on her bad side," he said before disappearing to his own room.

Readability Level: 11-12th Grade

Time Taken: 5 Hours


	60. Chapter LX

Book VIII: The Fourth Driver

Chapter LX

As I came to, I realized I was within a place that existed solely within my own mind, and that meant that Sarah was here. However, I didn't quite realize that at first until I heard her voice.

"You're as stupid as he was!" she had said in a distressed manner.

I sat up, completely dazed.

"Where am I?" I asked her, but that was a dumb question. I knew where I was, I just didn't have my head on straight.

"You know that answer," Sarah answered with a sigh. "I'm glad you're back in action and all, but I really need you to quit being reckless, you almost died!"

"I'll… take that into consideration," I replied with a nod.

"You have people who really want to see you, so do us all a favor and wake up."

...

I woke up, once again, but in the real world this time. However, there was a very familiar face hovering over me.

"Everything's fine," she said. "Your wounds have mostly healed, you just need rest."

"Granny…," I responded with realization. "Y-You're a…."

She didn't look so old, but rather, in her late twenties. However, the most distracting feature was a bright red and blue mixed core crystal on her chest.

"I've been a blade my whole life, Silas. I'm honestly impressed I kept it hidden from you for so long," she replied.

"You're not just a blade… you're a flesh eater," I continued.

"I hope you don't think less of me for it," she said apologetically. "I never wanted you to feel like you were responsible for my burdens, so I didn't tell you."

"Granny, I'm travelling with someone who tried to kill me, a prince with no country, the man who murdered the prince's family, my blades are sadistic and probably crazy, and I still haven't unraveled what goes on in Mythra's head. You being a flesh eater somehow makes more sense than anything else in my life right now," I replied with a chuckle. "Besides, you've cared for me your entire life, you've shown me who you are. If you made the decision to become a flesh eater at some point, then I'm going to believe that you didn't make that choice light-heartedly."

She smiled gently at me. "You're just like Rex."

"Caring?" I questioned for clarification.

"No, a bloody idiot!" she snapped. "Honestly, what were you thinking?! Fighting Siren, I've never heard of such a stupid thing in my entire life! I get some random girl coming to my house in a giant hunk of metal and here you are on the brink of death only living thanks to Floren, who passed out in exhaustion after getting you to me, by the way! And then Gabriel brings in another one with multiple stab wounds and bleeding the hell out! I knew your group was dysfunctional but I didn't expect this!"

"Canaan?! Is he alright?" I asked in concern.

"He'll live, but you two need to be more careful!"

"I'll try," I sighed.

We sat in silence for a bit, before I remembered something.

"Where's Azami? Is she alright?"

"She's fine, both her and Sheba are waiting for you to make your recovery." Granny answered. "Just please rest first, you'll need your strength for our next plans."

"What are we planning?"

"Well we gotta get Mythra back at some point, and I have an old friend who knows exactly where she is. Leave this to me, and we'll be where we need to be when you wake up."

I suddenly realized how tired I really was, and I passed out before I could even say anything else. My worries were calmed, for now. The only thing left to do was rest.

...

I didn't know how many hours had passed, but eventually I woke up. I sat up to see the bed next to mine was empty as well, I assumed Canaan had recovered already. As I looked to my left I noticed a bathtub by my bed, and Sheba was passed out inside of it. As I looked further, I realized Azami was asleep in a chair as well. I silently chuckled a bit as I got up.

I got up and lost a little bit of balance, but steadied myself quickly. I wondered how long I had been out, but I almost didn't care. It felt really nice to be back.

I wobbled my way over to the door, but then decided against leaving. I didn't want to wake them up, but they had obviously been waiting for me to wake up. I'd honestly feel bad if they woke up and I wasn't there.

I rubbed Azami's arm first, since she was closer to me.

Her right eye opened as she looked at me.

"Hey Azami, I'm all better!" I said calmly.

She jumped up and hugged me, a little too intensely.

"Woah!" I tripped and fell back into Sheba's bathtub.

"What on Alrest is your problem, peon?!" Sheba shrieked immediately as she and her water spirit jumped up out of sleep.

"Oh no! Are you ok, my darling driver?" Azami asked, concerned.

I chuckled. "I haven't completely regained my balance yet, please refrain from tackling me."

After hearing that, Sheba seemed to calm down quite a bit.

"We are simply glad you're awake. Without you, we cannot exist!" Sheba said.

"Well thank you for staying by me," I said graciously.

"You're quite welcome, you can repay us by not dying again," Sheba scolded.

"Where's everyone else?"

"They are waiting for morning, tomorrow we're going to talk to Dromarch with the BAP. Boring stuff like that," Azami explained.

I nodded. "Well then we'll wait, for now I want to get back on my feet, you two want to help?"

Sheba pouted. "We were only here to ensure your safety, we'll leave the grunt work to the grunts!"

"How rude!" Azami retorted as Sheba floated out in her bathtub.

I chuckled a bit. "Relax Azami, if she didn't care she wouldn't have waited by my side. She's just a bit stubborn, let's go! Just you and me!"

"J-Just… you and… m-me?!" she stuttered out.

"Problem?"

"N-No! Of course not, let's go!" Azami said excitedly.

Together, we walked outside and once I got my footing together, we sparred until morning.

Readability Level: 11-12th Grade

Time Taken: 1.5 Hours


	61. Chapter LXI

Book VIII: The Fourth Driver

Chapter LXI

Acacia woke up and took a look around. After rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, she noticed someone was behind her door… waiting for her.

She grabbed her longsword and opened the door quickly, pointing it at the person's throat.

"Good morning to you too," Canaan replied, backing up just a little bit.

"What do you want?" she asked, not putting the sword down.

"We need to talk about your sister."

She put her sword down and let him in, but she wasn't sure what he really wanted.

"You recovered quickly," Acacia pointed out.

"That flesh eater has some serious power," Canaan pointed out. "But not nearly as much as you or your sister."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Does the phrase 'The day the Crimson Butterfly wars against the Crimson Rose, history will change.' sound familiar?" Canaan questioned.

"It's a saying that was forced on my sister during her training, why?"

"Has that war already happened?"

"The Crimson Butterfly was broken, does that answer your question?" Acacia answered.

"No," Canaan said, shaking his head. "The Crimson Butterfly was not broken, because she's sitting across from me."

"The Crimson Butterfly is the name of my katana that was broken when I fought my sister. I don't remember the fight, nor do I remember what happened, all I know is that it did."

"Your sister has powers like Mòrag did," Canaan explained. "Mòrag was forcefully fused with blades to get the power she had, and your sister had the same abilities but much more powerful. She could even manipulate the ether like a blade, she had her own driver and blade arts, and I'm willing to bet you're no different."

"I don't remember my own past or my training, it's part of the reason I left with Silas and Mythra, I wanted the truth. If what you say is true, then I'm one step closer to finding out what Adonis really wants."

"So you really don't remember anything?" Canaan asked once more, just to make sure.

Acacia shook her head. "But we need to be more careful. If Violet and I have these powers, then Adonis would never let himself fall short. If this is true, then it might even take more than all of the power both of our Aegises have to take him down."

Canaan nodded. "For now, let's go see what plan the BAP can cook up, hopefully it'll be enough."

...

"Wowie! Silas getting very powerful!" Rafi said as he got launched back once again. Poppi was in her QT π form, and even she was impressed.

"Even with maximum Poppi power, Silas still keep up!" Poppi added.

I laughed a bit. "Thanks for sparring with Azami and I, it's really helping!"

Rafi shook his head. "But where all this power come from? Even with Mythra, Silas not fight this well!"

"I've been going through some changes that I can't quite explain. All I know is that I'm not complaining!" I said. "And you've improved as a driver too, Rafi! You and Poppi really trust each other!"

"Mind if I give it a go?" a familiar voice asked.

It was Granny.

"You want to give it a go? I won't hold back," I warned with a chuckle.

"I appreciate your concern," Granny said as she pulled out a beautiful sword with ethereal flowers wrapping around it. "But I taught you how to use arts, or did you forget?"

"I could never forget, let's see if I've really improved," I invited, holding Azami's ether cannon firmly.

"Oh, this is so much fun!" Azami giggled out.

https/youtu.be/uRtAbX2-f3A

Granny readied herself as I popped off a few shots.

She expertly slid to the left and came in close, almost hitting me, but I parried it off with the ether cannon.

"A little cocky, eh?" she teased.

"Guess you've still got plenty of skill," I replied before pushing back and shooting off a few more rounds.

Granny danced through the shots as she once again closed the distance between us.

"For having so many long-ranged weapons, you certainly are bad at keeping me at arm's length."

I flipped the ether cannon around and shot off a powerful blast behind me, using the recoil of the gun to help push the cannon into her.

She gasped as she parried it with her sword, but it still sent her flying backwards.

"Hey, that was pretty cheeky," she laughed. "Not bad, not bad!"

"Ether cannons are far from easy to use," I pointed out. "But I like to think I handle them well."

She rushed in again, bringing her sword down directly over my head, knocking me to the ground.

Or… that's what I saw happen, after that happened I was still standing, and she was standing across from me. It was just like Siren's attack back at the arena.

She rushed in, just as I had seen, and I put my ether cannon up in the air, blocking her attack completely. I then brought my ether cannon down and shoved with all my might, knocking her to the ground.

"You alright Granny?" I asked. After all, I wasn't trying to hurt her.

She stood up on her own. "I've taken whollups a lot harder than that, yeah? More importantly you saw that attack coming, didn't you?

"How do you know that?"

"It reminded me of Rex when he'd use Mythra's foresight, but Mythra's not here. What foresight are you using?"

"Mythra's foresight is much quicker than what I've been experiencing. Normally, I'd see the attack and dodge immediately, but with this, it's an entire image of what the outcome will be if I do nothing. I've even watched myself die. Mythra's foresight is more streamlined and reactive, but this one is more precise and detailed, I don't quite understand it myself to be honest."

"Hey guys, are you coming or not?!" a small girl yelled from the ship.

I soon realized that she was Electra.

"We'll be right there!" I replied as we all followed her.

Acacia ended up hugging me the moment she saw me. She told me if I ever ran away again she'd kill me. Gabriel and everyone else were also happy to see me, except for Malos, who was kind of indifferent. He also seemed irritated that he had to destroy his own artifice, but I wasn't sure why he didn't just regain control of it. After all, he did that to Artifice Ophion some five hundred years back according to Mythra and Adenine's history book.

We all walked to the BAPHQ and were met by Dromarch and Aegaeon at the gate.

"Hey it's been a long time fleabag," Granny said to Dromarch. "What's up with your eye?"

"It is very nice to see you again m'lady," Dromarch greeted with a courteous bow. "The years have taken their toll, I'm lucky to still be alive."

Granny sighed. "You and me both."

"Granny, do you know Dromarch?" I questioned, even though the answer was obvious.

Granny giggled a bit. "This furry mess is my original blade."

"I must apologize for not visiting," Dromarch said simply.

"Don't be, it was my fault for telling you to leave," Granny replied. "I was confused by Waylon's last words to us, and I didn't want my task to drag you away from yours."

"I am simply glad that fate drew us together again. However now is hardly the time to reminisce, as I believe Mythra needs our help," Dromarch stated, leading us into a planning room.

There were gadgets and gizmos everywhere, which only made me realize my own technological ineptitude.

A hologram brought up a location and Granny immediately gasped.

"That's-" she started, and Dromarch responded with a nod.

"The ruins of Indol," Dromarch continued.

"But Waylon and Rex destroy Indol!" Poppi pointed out.

"Unfortunately it seems we missed a spot," Dromarch replied.

Granny shook her head. "But we made sure to destroy the whole bloody thing!"

"Wasn't Indol the place that Praetor Amalthus controlled?" I questioned.

"Yes," Granny answered. "It was there that blade eaters like the ones you fought at Juliani's arena were created. It was also where Mòrag and Zeke became infused with other blades. However Mòrag's process was much more extreme and it was done by Cereza, not Amalthus."

"So this is where he's taken Mythra?" Acacia asked.

"It's very likely," Dromarch stated. "We've monitored this place for some time, and whenever he enters, he brings no one other than his blades. He doesn't trust others, so it only makes sense that this would be the only place he'd take her."

"We searched every nook and cranny of that place! How did he find something we didn't?" Granny still hadn't gotten over that Waylon and Rex had both missed something.

"Amalthus was a clever foe, he had backup plans for his backup plans," Dromarch explained. "The only thing we can do now is stop what he started."

"So what's the plan?" I asked, trying to get us back on track.

"I will accompany you and we will infiltrate and retrieve Mythra," Dromarch answered. "We need to prepare for the scenario that he already messed with her core crystal. As her driver, it will be your duty to bring her back, if needed."

"Are you so certain I can? She distanced herself from me out of fear of loss."

"I think you'll find a way," Granny cheered. "You've already proven you're willing to die for this, and we're all with you!"

"Yeah! Silas much stronger than stupid liar!" Rafi added.

"Poppi want to help friend Mythra!" Poppi chipped in.

"Thanks guys," I laughed. "Alright, then tomorrow we head to Indol starting at day break. Everyone take the time to polish your gear."

"The Mighty Band of Misfits will join you too!" Floren shouted excitedly as the three of them burst into the room.

"Absolutely not!" Dromarch stated.

"B-But why not?!" Electra questioned.

"Need I remind you that you not only broke the bounds of reconnaissance but also abandoned your mission directive entirely?"

"Oh, I never got to properly thank you Floren," I interjected. "Thank you for saving my life."

Dromarch stopped and looked at me. "He… saved your life?"

"If he hadn't been there, Silas would be six feet under in Fonsett's cemetery by now," Acacia confirmed.

"Is that so?"

"It was the least I could do," Floren responded. "I was the one who recommended abandoning the mission directive, and I'd do it again too. If that goes against the rules, then maybe the Misfits deserve a new leader, because I'd only break the rules again."

Dromarch sighed. "You made a call and you can justify it. I commend you on your efforts and I humbly request that you stay the leader of the Misfits. After all, a Rank 8 squad needs all the help it can get."

"Yeah but I don't know if-" Floren stopped to reassess what he had just heard.

"Did Dromarch hit his head?" Nim asked.

"Pretty sure he just called us a Rank 8 guild," Electra added nervously.

"Sir, you're not serious?!" Floren said enthusiastically.

"You acted on recon, threw yourselves in peril, and staked your own safety to save the driver of the Aegis' life. You even received his thanks and approval. I believe this decisiveness and quick thinking warrants a reward, so henceforth the Merry Band of Misfits will no longer be a Rank 10 guild, but a Rank 8 guild. You will need to meet up with Kora at 0700 tomorrow morning, where she will be giving you your first assignment, I expect great things from you."

Floren nodded, hiding the tears in his eyes. "Yes sir! We won't let you down!"

Dromarch turned to us. "I also heard that the Helios Trinity helped you in Tantal, is that correct?"

"Yes," Gabriel responded. "If you see Perceval, give him my thanks."

"No need for that, I'm right here," Perceval, who had entered with Corrin and Agate, said.

"Perceval! To what do I owe the pleasure?" Gabriel asked.

"The Helios Trinity have taken it upon themselves to get you updated gear," Dromarch explained. "The only difference between the gear they're providing and the gear you have now is the ability to channel either. Your ether crystals and bullets should be much more powerful now."

"We should go rest up," Canaan interjected. "We have a busy day tomorrow."

"Quite," Dromarch agreed. "Please grab your gear and then enjoy the rest of your day, we will all take your Tantal ship tomorrow. Please leave it to the blades here to refuel and repair any problems."

And with that, we went to rest. Tomorrow would be the day we fought Adonis again, but was I ready?

Readability Level: 11-12th Grade

Time Taken: 2.5 Hours


	62. Chapter LXII

Book VIII: The Fourth Driver

Chapter LXII

I entered the living room of the ship, and surprisingly Granny was the only one in there. I assumed everyone else was prepping.

"I'm glad you came out here," she greeted. "Come and sit down for awhile, I want to talk to you."

I didn't hesitate, I had some of my own questions to ask.

https/youtu.be/Z-UoN8YhGfU

"Years ago, I fought with Waylon and Rex during the Cereza incident. It was the closest I had ever been to dying, and many lives were lost. After everything was said and done, Waylon told me to guard Mythra's and Azami's core crystal. Eventually, Tora had to go on with his life, without Poppi, and I was left with her as well. Tora is the reason technology is so advanced, and that anyone can fight, regardless of whether they have a blade or not. He died 130 years after Waylon left, only regretting that he couldn't fix Poppi. Zeke and Morag decided to get married in the name of a new future for Alrest, but Mor Ardain decided they didn't want an empire three hundred years later, so Morag decided to leave and help direct the BAP instead. Rex and Pyra helped develop the Garfont Mercenaries into the BAP, and then they disappeared forty years later, and were never seen again. Adonis began getting influence twenty years after Waylon left..."

"How?!" I immediately asked.

"He lived under a different identity, and then he'd disappear for about fifty years before coming back under a different idea. He'd push his ideology for about fifty years before repeating this pattern. He's the sole reason New Torna has its anti-Blade philosophy, why Mor Ardain is in shambles and rejected its empire, and why Tantal rejected its king. He's even responsible for Juliani's doctrine, but she refuses to accept that. Gormott follows whatever New Torna does. Leftheria has always been left away from everything, and Adonis ignored it until the day you awakened Mythra. Uraya is the last nation that's not under his control, and he is the sole reason I fled to Leftheria, and why Azurda brought you to me. I don't know what Adonis is, but I want you to understand what you're fighting against. This man is no idiot, and you have to be sure of yourself and of who you fight with. You need to have unwavering trust in your blades and in Mythra. He cannot be allowed to live."

What… was he? My thoughts clouded me quickly, but I still had my own questions.

"Granny, if you're a blade, why are you aging?"

Granny snickered a bit. "I'm a flesh eater, and there's no such thing as a perfect flesh eater."

"But your core crystal should keep you appearing the same, shouldn't it?"

She pulled down her shirt to show me her core crystal, parts were crimson, but parts were blue, they melded together, kind of like different hard candies aimed towards kids.

"A blade eater is decided as either a success or failure based on their power output before their transformation compared to their power after the transformation has completed. If they have terrifying, unnatural power after the transformation, they were a success. I am one such success," she explained. "But…, this power doesn't come without cost. Jin was history's most powerful blade, even before he became a flesh eater. To transform, he devoured the entire heart of his driver, and his core crystal became a solid crimson red. He was history's most perfect flesh eater. He could defy physics themself and move at the speed of light, faster than Mythra could ever even attack. However, this power had cost, and after five hundred years of using it, his core crystal could no longer keep itself together and it cracked. He died with a smile on his face…."

"So your power ages you?" I questioned.

"Yeah, that's right," she answered. "I helped Dromarch heal all of the drivers of BAP as often as I could. When I noticed I was aging, I was scared… but I realized that I only aged after using my power. To restore the lives of others, I reduce my own. I'm not scared anymore though, because everyone needs to be able to die at some point, and eternity isn't for me, you get it?"

I almost wanted to cry. "Granny… do you… want to die?"

She had to hide her own tears. "This life… this duty I hold… to raise you. I've completed it. I've done everything Waylon and Rex asked me to do, and I must admit I'm tired. I'm not looking to end my own life, mind you, but I can't help but understand how Azurda felt."

I wrapped her in a hug and held her close. "Please, can you wait a little longer? I'm not ready to lose you yet. I know it's selfish for me to ask this… but I care about you so much and I don't know what I'd do without you. Please don't leave me just yet."

Granny did finally break and cry a bit. "Selfish is correct, but I promise as long as you need me, I'll be here."

Readability Level: 11-12th Grade

Time Taken: 2 Hours (Mostly me arguing with myself what I wanted to do for this chapter)


	63. Chapter LXIII

Book VIII: The Fourth Driver

Chapter LXIII

Our ship came to land in a very interesting area, and we all exited the ship. As we looked around, we were met with dead trees and grass, it looked like it had all been burned, but not recently.

"Take heed in this warning," Dromarch said to me. "Five hundred years ago, Waylon lost control of Mythra and she lost control of herself. This is what she managed to destroy before he could snap her out of it."

"You've gotta be careful with your ability," Granny added. "Or else you'll be the next driver to witness a continent's destruction, and probably the last."

It was a grim reminder, but we kept going anyway, I didn't want to let Adonis have her any longer.

We soon made it to the remains of Indol, and as Granny had said, it was destroyed. However, after digging around in the rubble for a few minutes we found traces of where Adonis had entered and exited.

"There is a high probability we will not survive," KOS-MOS stated, as literal ever. "Approximately ninety-six point-"

"Thank you KOS-MOS," Acacia interrupted. She took a long sigh. "The point is she's right. If anyone wants to back out now, leave."

"Rafi not going anywhere!" Rafi cheered.

"Poppi stay with Rafi!" Poppi added in.

Gabriel chuckled. "Wussing out of a fight's just not my style!"

"And I stay with Gabe!" Kasandra giggled.

"I'll supply battle music!" Sonata chimed.

"Finch and I are ready," Canaan assured us. "Nia's healing ability is amazing."

"I'm not about to let him think he's stronger than an Aegis," Malos nodded.

"We shall accompany you!" Sheba said simply.

"What about you, my darling driver?" Azami questioned me. "Are you sure you're committed?"

I sighed, knowing what she was referring to. I then nodded, "I'm sure, if I die here, then I die taking my last stand."

"Then we offer our assistance as well," Dromarch stated with a bow.

"Granny?! Are you sure?" I asked. I didn't want her to get hurt.

"No matter how bad he hurts you, I will heal you," she explained. "And the furball and I are quite the pair!"

"Well… if you're sure…," I noted. "Then let's go, I find it hard to believe he's not waiting for us."

We walked in and funneled our way down a very narrow hallway into an empty laboratory. It seemed that whatever experiments were held here ended a long time ago. We continued down even further, and eventually we were let out into a massive open area.

The area was large and a very light, metallic grey. There were narrow windows at the very top to let light in, but the entire room was extremely reinforced and there were large columns holding the place up. The columns seemed very old-fashioned, but were an insanely strong metal, and at least four peds in diameter, or around twelve feet. I knew that this room had to be some sort of testing room, maybe to test Pyra's power without destroying too much.

"I was beginning to think you'd actually given up, but that little display with Juliani was quite incredible," a very familiar voice said.

"Can't keep an Aegis' driver down forever," I quipped, trying to see where he was.

"Of course," he replied, coming into view. "Forgive me for not seeing to that last time. I suppose I'll just have to fix it for good this time."

Pyra approached behind him and held her sword, ready to fight.

"And I hope you don't mind, but I decided to get a little assistance," he added.

"What are you on about?" Gabriel asked, but soon we had our answer.

Mythra approached behind him as well, standing next to Pyra and she readied her own sword.

"She's not completely loyal yet," Adonis noted. "But she's getting there."

I pulled my sword and placed a dark ether crystal into it.

https/youtu.be/7KvgVGII5Bk

"Azami, with me. Everyone else, please keep Adonis and Pyra off of Mythra and I," I ordered.

Everyone else nodded.

"Dromarch and I'll stay back for support," Granny informed us. "Knock his bloody head off!"

"Mythra, if you're in there," I said aloud. "Then I'm getting you out!"

Malos rushed towards Adonis at blinding speed, and Adonis pulled out his claymore and parried it, his stern face replacing itself with a smile.

"I'm surprised you destroyed your own Siren, wouldn't it have been of more use under your care?" Adonis questioned.

"He betrayed me, I don't need traitorous wretches," Malso replies simply.

He shifted his stance. "Monado Cyclone!" Malos yelled, throwing up a dark ether wave, blowing Adonis back.

Acacia jumped in with KOS-MOS' ether cannon, blasting a few shots at Pyra, who knocked them out of the air with her sword.

"Prominence Bolt!" Pyra shouted as pillars of fire began erupting from the ground.

Sonata shoved Acacia out of harm's way before throwing her dagger towards Gabriel, who slashed at Pyra.

Poppi flew in and changed to her Q-TCE Finale form, and Granny became obviously nervous.

"Poppi, won't that form destroy you?!" she asked frantically.

Poppi shook her head. "Negative. Rafi fix Poppi up! Poppi power now above maximum!"

Poppi, with her QT gloves, alpha shield, and QT π sword, stood to help Malos with Adonis.

"Noponic Axiom!" Poppi Finale shouted as her sword popped into a gun and she shot a high-power laser directly into Adonis.

"That Poppi's power!" Rafi shouted excitedly.

I brought my ether sword down onto Mythra's sword.

She looked at me emotionlessly, it felt like I was staring into a void. No hope, no fear, nothing, she was a robot.

"Snap out of it Mythra!" I shouted.

"R…," she stuttered.

"Mythra?" I said again, maybe she could hear me?

"Ray of Punishment!" she shouted, launching an arrow of pure light into my skull.

Or rather, that's what would've happened had I not had foresight.

I launched myself back, narrowly dodging the light arrows as I dropped my sword to the ground and Azami threw me her weapon while I was still in the air.

"Grenade Launcher!" I shouted as I launched some explosive dark ether rounds onto the ground surrounding Mythra, blowing her onto the ground.

I landed, grabbed my sword and jumped down, slamming it right next to her head and touching her core crystal.

I immediately felt a large surge go through my body and my nose started bleeding profusely.

"What… happened?!" I asked as I instantly began feeling better.

Granny was behind me, healing me with her power.

"You failed to resonate," she explained. "Her core crystal rejected your aptitude."

I steadied myself as Mythra got off the ground.

"Then I'll try again!" I shouted, invigorating myself.

"I've never heard of anyone trying to resonate with a blade multiple times," Dromarch pointed out to Nia.

Nia giggled a bit. "That's because most people have a sense of self-preservation Silas apparently lacks."

Kasandra threw Gabriel her shield hammer as he jumped towards Pyra.

"Detonation Blow!" he shouted as he slammed it into her.

She screamed and was blown back.

"NOW RAFI!" Canaan shouted.

"Speedy sword!" Rafi shouted as he took Poppi's QT π sword and spun around, hitting Pyra, breaking her defense.

"Your turn Gabe!" Rafi yelled back before throwing the sword back to Poppi, who continued engaging Adonis.

"Vajra Blow!" Gabriel yelled as he used Kasandra's shield hammer to sweep Pyra off of her feet and onto the ground.

"Behemoth Uppercut!" Canaan shouted, going in behind Gabriel and launching her into the air.

"Cattle Driver!" Acacia announced as she shot Pyra further into the air with KOS-MOS' ether cannon.

Kasandra threw Gabriel into the air as he took Sonata's dagger, positioning himself directly above Pyra.

"Powerhouse Smash!" he cried as he slammed Pyra into the ground, knocking her out of commission.

"Monado Buster!" Malos yelled as he slammed his sword into Adonis' sword, but Adonis wasn't budging.

"Poppi Crushing Blow!" Poppi shouted as she slammed her gloved ether fist down on Adonis, hitting him directly.

"Enough," Adonis said, more agitated than anything else, and his sword erupted in a bright teal light that sent everyone into the ground.

"You've all gotten stronger, and I'm impressed, but this ends now," he stated.

"Prometheus!" Adonis stated as a large ball of pure ether energy began forming above our heads.

"Everyone get near me, NOW!" Granny shouted.

Adonis' blast had even knocked Mythra down, so I grabbed her and dragged her back with me, and Gabiel grabbed Pyra.

My foresight had kicked in and I knew immediately what was about to happen.

"Listen up!" I ordered. "I need every blade to open an ether shield and surround us! Granny, I need you and Dromarch to keep healing yourselves and everyone else, no matter what!"

The bright teal ball grew larger and larger, and it felt like it was going to be even more powerful than Siren's blast.

"It's not enough!" I shouted in realization.

"I got this!" Canaan shouted as he threw up a device that created an extremely thick ether shield all around us.

"Everyone hold on tight, and don't drop your shields!" I said.

"Poppi scared!" Poppi announced.

Rafi went up behind her. "Everyone scared Poppi! But Poppi and friends strong! No stupid ether attack is gonna beat us!"

"Yeah well let's see what Prometheus thinks," Acacia said sarcastically.

The pure ethereal energy slammed its way into us. It seemed to lose a lot of force at Canaan's ether shield, but it eventually broke through, it then hit the ether shields and Granny and Dromarch continued healing us, keeping the shields running. In the end, we survived, but all of the blades were out of energy.

As the smoke cleared, we could barely stand as Adonis stood across from us with a smile on his face.

"I'm honestly impressed," he stated. "I didn't think any of you would survive. Well done indeed."

He then looked at Pyra, who was lying with us.

"If you don't stop sleeping with the enemy you are going to be in a world of trouble, do you understand me, blade?"

Pyra got up off the ground and ran behind him very nervously.

"What in the bloody hell makes you think you can talk to her like that?!" Granny said, getting off the ground, Dromarch right behind her.

I then realized how strong she really was, none of us could even move, and yet here she was, standing with her blade.

"And who the hell are-" Adonis cut himself off mid sentence. "You- You're!"

"My name is Nia, blade of the Third Aegis Driver and one of the few who defeated Torna five hundred years ago!" she stated.

Adonis started laughing uncontrollably.

"What's so funny?" Granny asked.

"I undermined and arranged for Zeke and Mòrag to both be killed, killed Rex myself, and Tora died of his own accord before I could even do it myself. But you… you were the only one I couldn't track down!" he said with glee.

"Y-You killed Rex?"

"It's not that much of a surprise now is it?" Adonis questioned. "You don't think he would've just let his blade fall into my hands."

"Pyra, are you telling me you still believe he created you after hearing that?" Granny asked.

"I was constructed based on Rex's blade, I am not, nor have I ever been, Rex's blade," Pyra answered.

Granny drew her sword confidently.

"Granny… wh-what are you doing?" I queried, unable to get up and help her myself.

"I want to give you a proper demonstration," she explained. "Of how blades and drivers should be!"

"I am with you, my lady," Dromarch said as he stood behind her.

https/youtu.be/44to_rdvYI4

"You've never had it in you to fight Nia, give it up!" Adonis laughed.

Nia floated up into the air, bringing her sword down onto Adonis, who parried it before countering with his own blade, but Dromarch jumped in and blocked it with his twin rings.

"Last Hope!" Nia called as Adonis felt slightly weaker, and we began feeling stronger, but we still couldn't even stand.

"Something is holding you back Silas, and I don't know what it is," Granny said to me. "So please, whatever it is, start believing in who you are!"

"X-Star!" Adonis shouted as he lashed out a large amount of wind ether. Granny deployed her own ether shields and jumped back in, crossing swords with him fully.

"For years, I felt abandoned, lost, broken, but right now I've never felt more alive!" Nia yelled as she launched a large amount of water ether in his direction.

"I'll be sure to fix that," Adonis shouted as he slashed back at her in an upwards direction. Nia parried it, but lifted her body up with the sword, balancing it on his. She then jumped off and slashed him across the back.

"Redeeming Strike!" she said as ether entered his body.

"Right now, I feel like I'm exactly where I belong, doing what I was meant to do. He may not be here, but I can feel him next to me, and he wants me to fight, just like he would!" she announced as she went to slice him again.

He spun around and slammed his sword into hers, knocking her back.

Pyra went in for the hit, but Dromarch slammed his body into hers, throwing her to the ground.

"My apologies, Miss Pyra," he said.

"You have no idea how much I loved him, but I knew we had different fates when we split," Nia reminisced as she recovered for another strike. "The day I heard I'd never see him again, it hurt."

"Granny…," I said aloud. How long had she been carrying this burden? How long had she suffered in silence without me knowing?

"It still hurts… to this day," she said. "But I know that everything I did, he would've approved of. And what I wouldn't give to hear him say something stupid, 'Keep going!'or 'Don't give up!' or something like that…."

Adonis went for a slash.

"C'mon Granny, you can beat him!" I shouted across the room.

She parried his blow and Dromarch let out a roar of water ether energy, throwing him to the ground.

She laughed. "Yeah, I suppose that'll do, Silas."

"Are you done?" Adonis asked as he got up off the ground.

"Not quite," she said. "Divine Sword."

Immediately, Adonis began screaming as his muscles began swelling.

"What did you do?!" he shouted.

"My healing replicates cells to replace damaged ones, but I can also use it to replicate the cells, whether they're damaged or not. Your body is developing cells it doesn't need," she explained.

"Bastard…," Malos said under his breath.

"However I'd be a fool to think it would kill you," Nia continued as she impaled him.

"MASTER!" Pyra screamed as she got up.

"BLAZING END!" she shouted as her core crystal shone a bright emerald color, and her sword discharged a massive amount of fire.

Nia narrowly dodged it and her and Pyra locked blades.

"Your fear betrays you, Pyra," Dromarch said as he roared once again, but this time Pyra cut through it.

"You really care for him? Strange," Nia pointed out as she knocked her to the ground.

Adonis jumped back up and readied his sword again.

"Prometheus!" he shouted as the ball of energy began forming.

"I don't think so," Nia said as she sliced at his legs, throwing him to the ground again.

I wanted to help her, but I still couldn't get off the ground, I could only hope she would win.

Nia went to drive her sword down into his skull.

"Flame Gear!" Adonis called as he was wrapped in flames, throwing Nia off of him.

"My lady!" Dromarch called.

"I'm fine," Nia said as she healed her own wounds.

Adonis jumped in and attempted to slash her again, but she repelled it as Dromarch roared at him again, blowing him off balance.

"As long as I live, as long as I breathe, I will fight as he would have. I am Rex's blade, from the day he accepted me. If this is where I fall, then so be it, but it will be in memory of my driver! AND I WILL KNOW MY LIFE HAD MEANING!"

Nia slashed as a massive wave of ether energy ripped through him.

Dromarch closed in, ready to deliver the finishing blow, but Adonis grabbed him out of the air by his throat.

"Dromarch!" Nia cried.

"It's been a pleasure, my lady," he said. "I feel the same for you as you do for him."

Before anyone could react, Adonis smashed his core crystal and dropped him to the ground.

"I love you too," Nia cried, but wiped her tears.

She began slashing her sword with as much force as she could, wave after wave of ether energy crashing into him.

He walked through it, taking every hit, but continued, step by step.

"Was he ever human?!" Acacia shouted.

"Don't get any closer!" I shouted, trying to get up, but I stumbled forward. I couldn't move.

"Don't worry Silas, you have what you need," Granny said to me. "You don't need me anymore, and so I keep my promise. It'll sting, for the rest of your life, but I know you'll find your place."

"GRANNY!" I screamed, like a child, a powerless, helpless child.

She sliced again and again, but Adonis kept enduring the hits until he reached her, and he shattered the sword in her hands.

"Keep going Silas," she said. "Fight your war!"

And with that, Adonis planted his sword through her core crystal. He then pulled his sword out and tossed her corpse at me.

"G-Granny?" I called, but there was no answer.

I grabbed her hand and held it to me, there was no more strength in it. She… was gone.

I felt everything go white, everything felt faint. This… this wasn't real. How did this happen?!

"I told you to give up, I warned you," Adonis said with a glare. "These deaths are on your head, but don't feel too bad. You won't have to feel the pain for too much longer. Prometheus."

He, once again, summoned a large amount of ether energy.

"So this is how it ends, is it?" Gabriel questioned. "Out of power and burned alive."

Poppi reverted to her alpha form and hugged Rafi. "You were good Masterpon!"

"And you were bladiest blade Rafi could ever ask for!" Rafi responded, hugging her back.

"Say my name," I heard a voice say to me.

"There's nothing left to live for, I'm done," I said back to it.

"That wasn't a request, child," it said again.

"I don't want to keep surviving…," I argued again.

"Then what do you want?"

"I want… Granny back, and Mythra, and I want Adonis to die."

"I can't bring her back, but Mythra and Adonis are well within my power. Say my name."

And so I did.

https/youtu.be/Kw_0JI9drWk

Adonis launched the ether in our direction, and I stood up, and slashed it into nothing.

"What's this?!" he shouted.

"You will die," I declared.

"You don't have any power boy, or did you forget?"

Before he could even blink, I was standing next to him, and I used my hand to push him through one of the metal pillars.

"What the hell?!" Acacia exclaimed.

"Silas, calm down! You're losing control!" Gabriel added.

"Waylon?" a weak voice said.

"Mythra!" everyone around her shouted.

"Where's Waylon?" she asked.

"I don't know about Waylon," Canaan explained, pointing at Silas. "But something's definitely happening with him.

Adonis forced himself off the ground and started laughing.

"Well isn't this a surprise?! This could almost be entertaining! I want you to know I really took it easy on your poor old 'granny', I wanted to really make her feel special," he antagonized.

"M-Master?" Pyra said, getting off the ground. "Please be careful!"

I wasn't myself anymore, I could only hear once voice. It was telling me to kill, to slaughter, to leave this place without a trace of life. Destroy my enemies, leave nothing to chance, end it all.

"If you think you scare me, you're wrong boy!" Adonis shouted. "You're nothing compared to the power I possess, and I will recreate this world as I see fit, and you won't be able to stop me!"

"You should run," I warned.

Before he had the chance to respond, I rushed into him and shoved him into the ground, forcing my blade to his throat. He narrowly parried it and forced me back.

"I'm done playing with you, I should've ended this a long time ago!" he threatened.

"You waited too long, and now I will be ending you, permanently."

Adonis ran at me, with his sword drawn, and that was his first mistake.

I slammed into him before he had a chance to react, shattering his teal blade into nothing, I then threw him through multiple pillars and slammed him into the ceiling before throwing him into the ground, completely wrecking every surface I threw him into.

I then pointed my sword and punctured my way through him faster than anyone could see. I picked him up and threw him through a wall, but his wounds were still healing. So I went for the finishing blow, but he weakly deployed a shield that protected him from my attack. He then tried to launch a counter attack, but I grabbed him and threw him around like a ragdoll, slamming him into every surface I could find and then I threw him into the air and shot a pure wave of ether energy at him, which blew him into the ceiling. As he hit the ceiling, I had been waiting for him at the ceiling, and I slammed him back into the ground, where he was no longer able to move.

I drew my sword and went to finish this all, but my sword was blocked by Pyra's.

"I won't let you kill him!" she yelled.

"What makes you think he's the only one I'm trying to kill?"

"Wh-What?!" she shouted as she began trembling.

"You were responsible for her death no less than he was, and you will die like he will."

"We've got to stop him!" Mythra shouted frantically.

"We can't do anything against that kind of power!" Acacia shouted.

"The odds of success are zero point-" KOS-MOS started.

"I know, please stand back, and be ready to help me. Canaan, I have a request for you," Mythra stated.

"Stay back! I-I'm warning you!" Pyra shouted.

I sheathed my sword and another sword appeared in my hand, a teal one, my eyes and hair turned teal and began glowing as an unexplainable power began emanating from my body.

Pyra, feeling this power, took a step back. She almost tripped over herself as she started running for it.

"Too little too late."

I grabbed her by the back of her head and slammed her into a wall.

She spun around quickly and let loose a barrage of fire ether attacks at me, trying to get me away. I slashed them out of the air and then shattered her blade in a single slice.

She shot fire from her hands, trying to force me back, and then used the cover of the smoke to try and run. However, I picked her up and slashed her across her body, narrowly missing her core crystal. She shot more fire at me as I stomped her into the ground.

She shot more fire upwards, making me stumble a tad, but overall it was worthless.

"SILAS STOP!" Poppi shouted, but I couldn't hear her.

I approached Pyra, who was quickly running out of energy, and prepared to finish the job.

"Take solace in knowing you weren't as bad as he was," I said before planting my blade down into her.

But instead of hearing her core crystal crack, my sword was blocked entirely, and I was forced off my feet.

https/youtu.be/x_zxmuLSwRU

Mythra stood in between me and Pyra, and in her hands was a sword I hadn't seen before. It was bright emerald green, and radiated power similar to the power coming off of my blade.

"Get out of here Pyra, grab Adonis and go," Mythra ordered.

"B-But," Pyra started.

"I'm sorry he did this, this isn't him. Just go for now, and be safe," Mythra explained a little.

"Ok, we're still enemies though," she said as she picked up Adonis and began running away.

"You're in my way," I growled, although it's debatable whether "I" was there at all.

"I know what you're going through right now," Mythra said. "Please, find a way to control yourself, I know you can do this!"

"GET OUT OF MY WAY!" I yelled as I sliced at her.

Mythra parried it. "Damnit Silas SNAP OUT OF IT!"

We began fighting, hard. We slashed at each other so rapidly that the others couldn't even see our swords at all.

A bright flash hit me in the eyes as I was blinded. Acacia had thrown a flash grenade at me.

Poppi, in her Q-TCE Finale form, came at me as well, fighting with everything she had. I parried her blow and shoved her into the ground.

Mythra and I were floating off the ground and we resumed our swordplay, moving at speeds that shouldn't even be humanly possible.

In the background, Canaan sat in the prone position, holding a sniper rifle fixed on Mythra's core crystal.

"Please don't lose control," he was praying.

"I'm going to use a power that I can only control for a very short period of time, and should only use with a driver. If I lose control, I'll be just as dangerous as he is right now. If that happens, no matter what, I need you to take the shot at my core crystal," she had told him, and he was going to hold to it. However, he really didn't want to.

Malos jumped in and slashed at me, and I spun around, flinging the sword out of his hand then I threw him to the ground.

Mythra came in behind me and shoved me to the ground as well.

"Starburst!" she yelled as a Siren blast hit me square in the body, but it did little damage.

"Come on Silas! It's that sword, isn't it?" Mythra pointed out.

"HE TOOK EVERYTHING FROM ME!" I shrieked, but she didn't hear that until after we were fighting again.

"It hurts doesn't it?" she said, continuing. "You have so much power in your hands, and it screams at you. 'Destroy, kill, end your suffering'. Am I right!"

"SHUT UP!" I shouted, slamming my blade into her sword, throwing her back a fair distance.

She kept her cool, however, trying not to let those same voices take over her.

She closed the distance once again and we were moving around each other, slamming into one another like lightning strikes.

"One thousand years ago, I sank Torna into the Cloud Sea. Malos had destroyed an entire village and I knew someone I cared about was there. When that happened, I drew this sword for the first time, and I lost every ounce of who I was. I lost control, and the continent fell. The giant Titan cried out in anguish as the damage I had done burned it until it died. It was slow, painful, and all I knew was that it was my fault."

There were tears streaming down my face, but I couldn't stop. I wanted to kill them. I wanted him to die. However, I didn't want to be the one to kill him.

"Malos kept telling me that our purpose as Aegises was to destroy. However, as I unleashed my last blast, tears streamed down my face, and I cried, wishing only to protect. I spent the next five hundred years trying to resonate and take someone to Elysium, so that I could have my father's permission to die. I only wanted to protect, and I didn't believe that I was capable."

I said nothing as I continued attacking her.

"Rex showed me that I was capable of so much more. Addam, my first driver, helped me develop into loving humanity, but Rex, he showed me that I could be a benefit, and he accepted my powers fully. And then I had Waylon, and honestly he caused me more problems than anything else," she chuckled through her tears. "But I ended up loving him for never giving up and showing me compassion I didn't really deserve, and you're just like him."

"I tried… I-I tried giving up…," I said as I finally stopped attacking, and was left sobbing.

"But you're here now, aren't you? You didn't leave me, and you stayed true to your word," she said before she wrapped me in a hug and pulled me down to the floor.

"I-I lost my granny," I said, and I broke into tears, crying into her shoulder. I felt so pathetic.

"Shh, calm down. I know it hurts, but you'll get stronger, I promise."

"Will he be alright?" Nia asked him.

"He will, that was the last thing you needed to do for him," he told her.

"So, then that's it."

"Indeed, Rex is waiting for you, he has been for a long time."

"Well then I guess I shouldn't leave him waiting any longer."

"D-Do you hate me? I wouldn't blame you if-"

"Nonsense," she interrupted me. "I did what I was supposed to do, but the ones you really need to apologize to are the people down there right now. Not killing Galea is what caused all of this."

I nodded. "Thank you Nia, maybe we'll meet again."

"Yes, I'd like that, but you still have work to do for now, no slacking off!"

"Yes ma'am."

And with that, the drivers who had saved the world from Malos five hundred years ago finally met their end. May their souls be reunited within the ether flow.

End of Book VIII

Readability Level: 11-12th Grade

Time Taken: 4 Hours


	64. Chapter LXIV

Book IX: Aegis

Chapter LXIV

https/youtu.be/wQDBTGhmh0A

"We've gathered here today, to say goodbye to our leader, and his leader," Aegaeon started.

It was a mournful experience, I had never gone to a funeral before. We stood around in Uraya's blue fields, surrounded by bright pink luminescent cherry trees. The petals happened to be falling today, and we were surrounded by a beautiful array of shimmering flowers, decorating the air as they danced in the wind.

"First we'd like to bring up Nia's family, will Silas please step forward and say a few words?"

I nodded and walked on the stage, looking over the sea of blades and drivers that had all looked up to Dromarch.

I couldn't feel the butterflies in my stomach through my grief, and so I decided to speak.

"I didn't know Dromarch well, but I knew his driver," I started. "She raised me my whole life, and it hurts to see her gone. For a long time she was suffering, more than I'd known, more than she wanted me to know. Living a life in solitude, living for hundreds of years longer than what could be considered humanly possible, having to grow, knowing you'd outlive anyone you made a relationship with, it had hurt her so bad…. I… only hope that she can rest now. And I know Dromarch, dying for her protection, wouldn't have had it any other way."

I realized I was crying at this point, but apparently I wasn't the first to notice, because Mythra had already come in behind me.

"You good?" she asked me.

I nodded, and she walked me down, before heading back up.

"I… would like to say some few words as well," she said, looking at Aegaeon. "Can I?"

Aegaeon nodded.

"Nia and Dromarch fought alongside me five hundred years ago, and those two… they made an impact on me I'll never forget," Mythra began. "Every single person who fought with me was strong, strong in their own ways. But it'll flood in the Scorpox Desert before I ever say I'm stronger than those two. They had a bond even before Rex resonated with me, and they did everything together. They relied on each other, knew each other, cared for each other, depended on each other… they were everything I wanted to have with my driver. And while it hurts to see them go, all I can do is continue living, living by the example they set. They embodied service before self and I can only hope that I leave a mark half as brilliantly as the one they left. Thank you for your time."

Mythra then left the stage and their caskets were lowered into the ground.

By the end of it all, two gravestones were left.

One said, "Here Lies Nia, Healer, Caretaker, and Loved by All."

The other said, "Here Lies Dromarch, Loyal Servant, Friend, and Leader."

I spent most of that day crying by myself, Mythra occasionally brought food in and asked me if I needed anything.

Eventually day turned to night and she entered one last time.

"I'm going to bed soon, do you need anything?" she asked.

I shook my head. "No, but thank you."

Mythra smiled and gave me a hug. "Make sure you get some rest."

I nodded, "Ok."

After she had left, I laid down and eventually, I passed out.

...

"Are you ok?" she asked me.

"No, but I will be," I answered. "Sorry if I worried you Sarah."

"Serena," she corrected.

I had forgotten that she had told me who she really was.

"Oh… right, sorry," I said.

"Don't worry about it," she responded. "I'm going to leave you alone for now, we'll talk again when the time is right."

...

I woke up and looked around, it was already past noon, and I wasn't even sure what time I passed out.

I got out of bed and gave myself a moment to rebalance myself. I began stumbling my way to the door, but realized I should probably get dressed.

I grabbed my clothes and went into the bathroom, turned on the shower, and sat in the hot water for a good thirty minutes. I didn't cry or anything, I just needed time to empty myself of all thoughts, and so that's what I did.

Once I got to the point where I was dizzy and couldn't breathe through the humidity, I turned the water and got dressed. It was time for me to face the day.

https/youtu.be/zLhP-8wy500

I made my way out into the living room, where everyone had just finished eating, Poppi was cleaning, and Mythra was holding a plate of food and talking to Acacia.

"Alright, yeah we'll talk later, lemme go check on-" she said while turning around, almost bumping into me. "Oh! Silas!"

"Good morning Mythra," I greeted.

"Are you hungry? I was about to bring you this plate," she pointed out.

I was actually pretty hungry, I looked around to notice that everyone was kind of staring at me.

"I could eat," I responded. "And you guys can stop worrying, I'm fine. I just needed some time to myself is all."

"So long as you're sure," Acacia stated.

"You can rest a little longer if you want chum, we're not going to stop you," Gabriel added.

I chuckled a bit, "Don't worry, I'm fine, really!"

Mythra smiled at me. "Well as long as you're feeling up to it. You wanna help me go shopping in Fonsa Myma?"

"Are we doing that bad on the grocery front?" I questioned.

"Do you remember us ever stopping to grab grub at any point since we picked you up?" Sonata pointed out.

"I guess not…," I answered.

"I'm getting so tired of leftover fast food," Kasandra whined.

"Indeed, we do not want to gain weight!" Sheba added.

"Alright, alright!" I laughed. "Grocery shopping it is."

"I was originally going with her, so if you're not feeling up to it...," Acacia mentioned.

I shook my head, "Don't worry about it! Unless of course you want to join us."

"Actually if you two are going then I'm going to take Malos and KOS-MOS with me and we're going to do some bonding," Acacia said decisively.

"I'm not so sure Malos is going to want to do that," I chuckled a bit.

Acacia crossed her arms and her face went stern, "He doesn't have a choice."

"Sonata, Kasandra, and I are going to do the same," Gabriel added. "I think some quality time with our blades would do us some good!"

"Oh, well Sheba, do you and Azami want to come with as well?" I asked.

"We are actually taking Azami to go get mani-pedis," she told me. "All this drudgery has been awful on our hands and feet!"

"I see, well that sounds as good of an idea as any!" I replied.

"We do require money, though," Sheba pointed out.

I sighed. "Well I guess I can't expect you to have any sitting in a water bath all day."

"No need, my amazing driver, I acquired some funds in our last outing," Azami interrupted.

"Well then, shall we all get going?" Mythra asked.

"Yeah, let's go!" I responded as we all headed out of the ship and towards Fonsa Myma.

Acacia did manage to drag Malos along, he seemed annoyed, but not uninterested. We made our way across the Urayan marsh until we finally made it to Fonsa Myma, where it was as busy as ever. Everyone headed their separate ways and Mythra and I went grocery shopping.

We bought pretty much anything that wasn't perishable, and pretty soon my hands were full. Luckily Fonsa Myma actually had accommodations for people shopping from the BAPHQ, and provided small shopping carts that you could drive back. After you removed all the groceries, the shopping cart would drive itself back to Fonsa Myma.

"Fonsa Myma was nothing like this five hundred years ago," Mythra commented.

Fonsa Myma had skyscrapers built in many areas, and all of the shops were inside buildings that were kept at constant temperatures using fire and ice ether energy. It wasn't quite as modern as New Torna, but it didn't feel very far off. We walked around for a few hours more, taking in the scenery and atmosphere of this brilliant city, but before long our stomachs were growling again.

"I'm hungry again," I complained.

"Yeah I could eat," Mythra added.

"Well if you take the third street down to the left, you may find yourself something you'll both like," a voice in my head stated.

"Oh great… another one," I mumbled. Had I grown too accustomed to having other voices in my head? Maybe I needed mental help.

"What was that?" Mythra asked.

I shook my head, "It was nothing, but I think I saw some food this way."

I went to the exact spot the voice told me and all that was there was some weird looking machine.

"What is it?" I questioned, but one look at Mythra and I was convinced she had just found a second Elysium.

"CLOUD SEA CRAB STICKS!" she shouted excitedly.

I jumped a little from the sudden volume. "Cloud what?"

"Cloud sea crab sticks!" she repeated. "This machine sells them!"

I took a closer look and the machine did have a list of different foods on it, and a slot to insert G.

"I don't know if I trust a machine to do it though, that just sounds plain weird," I pointed out skeptically.

She crossed her arms. "You're going grocery shopping with the world's most powerful weapon, nothing about your life isn't weird."

I chuckled a bit. "Fair enough, let's get some sticks."

I inserted the appropriate amount of G into the machine and selected Cloud Sea Crab Sticks. The machine made some mechanical noises and some frozen sticks were dropped behind a glass plane. Some bright red crystals began glowing and we watched the sticks begin to cook. After about fifteen seconds, a hatch dropped from below it and it was deposited at the bottom. I picked it up and handed it to Mythra.

She, without hesitation, grabbed it and began devouring it like it was her last meal. While she did that, I bought another one for myself.

Right before I grabbed it, she snatched it from underneath me and ate the second one too.

I chuckled nervously and then ordered yet a third one, which also mysteriously ended up in her hand.

"Y'know I would also like to eat, Mythra," I said, slightly agitated.

"So good…," she responded, clearly not paying attention to me.

I sighed and stood in a way that she could not grab another without somehow going through my body, and ordered yet another.

And still, she forced her arm around me and grabbed it as it dropped.

I was getting agitated. "Mythra come on!"

"You're gonna have to try harder than that," she said with her mouth full of food.

"Alright fine, we'll do this your way," I stated as I ordered another one, but I noticed a machine next to it that served ice cream. I grabbed some ice cream and waited til the last second before the Cloud Sea Crab Stick dropped. Right as it began dropping I threw the ice cream in the bottom hole right as Mythra went to grab it.

She jumped back and squealed. "COLD!"

"Serves you right!" I said as I grabbed the Cloud Sea Crab Stick and finally started eating it.

It was really, really greasy, but definitely not half bad. I couldn't imagine eating more than two of them though.

She then had the nerve to be agitated with me, but I ordered a couple more, and she ended up eating five of them.

"Where did you even put those?" I asked, shocked.

"My record is ten if I remember correctly," she stated.

"Her and I did get a little competitive once," the voice in my head spoke again.

"Waylon?!" I yelled aloud.

"Well yeah we got into a stick eating contest," Mythra explained. "But why are you so excited about it?"

I sighed. "It's… nothing. We really need to start heading back."

Mythra let out an extremely loud burp before going bright red with embarrassment, I then noticed people were looking her way.

"Oof my bad! Where are my manners?!" I said super loud.

She stopped before giggling a bit, and we started heading back.

It took us a while to get back, and the sun was going down as we finished putting away the groceries.

"Thank you for choosing the Urayan Shopping Network, your one stop shop for all your shopping needs!" a little speaker on our shopping cart said as it took off back to Uraya.

We went back into our ship and we realized we were the first back, but as I looked around I noticed traces of an unwelcome guest in the form of a letter on the table.

It was signed by Adonis.

Readability Level: 9-10th Grade

Time Taken: 2 Hours


	65. Chapter LXV

Book IX: Aegis

Chapter LXV

Once everyone got back, I opened the letter and read it aloud.

"You will meet me in the Land of Morytha in two days, if you do not, the BAP will no longer exist as you will no longer be able to stop me. This is your final stand, be prepared."

"What is Land of Morytha?" Rafi questioned.

"It's the remains of the old world," Mythra explained. "Many millennia ago, a world far more technically advanced than this one used to exist. Father and Waylon are both from that time period, however Father's actions are what caused that world to cease to exist, and he used the same power we Aegis' possess to recreate the world anew."

"I know if this too," Acacia added. "We had been trying to find a way to get there for years. Has he finally cracked the code?"

"Father didn't want us to go to the World Tree anymore, so he created this continent away from the World Tree," Mythra continued. "He made it so that the titans could all pass through to this Alrest and merge with the continent. However, only an Aegis and one specific titan can pass back through it. If you tried to go to the World Tree on your own, you'd never reach it, you'd sail endlessly to a place that only seems farther away until you either sailed around the entire planet or capsized."

"Can Pyra really get him to Morytha?" Gabriel questioned.

Mythra shook her head. "He's messed with her memory so badly that I don't know if she's capable of doing so. However, we can't rule out that possibility."

"Well it looks like we don't have a choice," I stated. "If we meet him out there, odds are he's going to want to fight us himself. If we wait until he arrives here, odds are he won't come without a formidable army."

"And Violet may show up as well," Canaan added. "And that's not an ideal situation, she's probably crazier than he is."

"No doubt about that," Acacia agreed before turning to me. "But can you control that power?"

I nodded. "We have Mythra and Malos too, we should be able to hold our own."

"And you did some serious damage, I'm willing to bet he's not even fully recovered," Mythra concluded.

And so we left, we thanked Aegaeon and wished him luck on leading the BAP before going. We took off toward the World Tree, and as we came closer, I noticed the ocean below us disappear and instead old, broken down buildings littered the ground below us.

We looked out over the ground, it looked like an endless city, far bigger than New Torna and possibly some of the nations of Alrest! However it was depressing to look out, I'd heard of ghost towns and how ominous those feel, but seeing a city like this completely devoid of life, it was… unnerving to say the least.

"How we know where Adonis gonna be?" Rafi inquired.

"I know where they are," Mythra said simply. "I can feel Pyra, we're close."

...

"Master, they're close," Pyra informed Adonis.

"I know, you will give me everything you can muster today," Adonis ordered. "If you fail, there will be dire consequences, is that understood?"

"Transparent."

"Then let the fun begin."

Readability Level: 11-12th Grade

Time Taken: 1 Hour


	66. Chapter LXVI

Book IX: Aegis

Chapter LXVI

We landed a short distance away from where we knew they'd be. After a short walk, we arrived.

"I knew you fools couldn't resist a direct challenge," Adonis greeted.

I sighed. "Hello Adonis, I see your pride has healed, how's your sword?"

"That's the spirit," Adonis responded as a sword appeared in his hand, just like his other one.

Pyra emerged from behind him, and she drew her sword, not taking her eyes off of me. I honestly resented the way I had fought her.

Mythra threw me her sword as I locked eyes with Adonis. "You still won't fight with your blade?"

"I am not a blade," Pyra argued. "I am simply here to protect my master."

"Poppi not real blade either, I see no excuse," Poppi responded in an irritated fashion as she switched to her Q-TCE Finale form.

"This world is broken, so I will help her rebuild it," Adonis stated, although nobody could figure out who "her" was.

"Oh yes, because you've done such a good job with this one," Canaan said sarcastically.

"I tire of your constant meddling," Adonis replied to Canaan, "Return to the ether flow, and may you be reborn again."

Foresight hit me, but not Mythra's. However, there was nothing I could do. I shouted, but by the time my words reached him….

Adonis immediately flew past us as his sword began glowing its teal color, he simultaneously plowed through Finch's core crystal and Canaan's heart.

"I-I'm sorry Cantaloupe," Finch cried out as Adonis withdrew his sword and they both slumped to the ground.

"No worries," Canaan replied as he coughed up blood. "It wasn't… y..ou..r… fault-"

"ADONIS!" I shrieked as I slashed at him with Mythra's sword, to which he parried.

https/youtu.be/-eU9N59CkkA

He laughed. "Now quit wasting everyone's time and quit holding back!"

I took a deep breath, I was anything but fine, but I couldn't lose control, not again.

"He's baiting you," Mythra warned me, but I could tell even she was falling for it. "Don't lose yourself."

"You too," I stated. "Do you think I can handle your power?"

"I trust you," she started, but shook her head. "But it isn't a good idea, he may be trying to take advantage of our inability to control our emotions."

"You…," Gabriel said as Kasandra cautiously handed him her weapon. "YOU SLIMY BASTARD!"

"BE SENSIBLE!" Acacia yelled back before grabbing Malos' Monado.

"You sure you can handle it?" Malos questioned her.

"I think it's time we found out."

Gabriel went in, and Adonis would have cut him through if Acacia hadn't countered it.

"Pay attention, don't die for nothing," she said as they stood back to back.

Gabriel sighed. "Fine, you're right."

"Much more composed are you?" Adonis inquired. "Or did he just mean that little to you? I honestly can't even blame you, he was just as mindless as a blade! Only money was his driver."

"Double Spinning Edge!" I shouted as I took Mythra's sword and slashed my way toward him.

He was thrown back, but not nearly enough. He retaliated with a slash downwards, but KOS-MOS fired off a blast that prevented contact.

Pyra snuck behind me and went to slash me, but I threw my sword back to Mythra and she countered it.

I spun around as Mythra tossed the sword back and I locked blades with Pyra. She looked very unconfident, and scared.

I took a deep breath, "I'm sorry Pyra."

"What?!" she responded, confused.

"I'm sorry I attacked you like I did last week, I was angry and out of control. Her death wasn't your fault and you didn't deserve to be treated like that."

She seemed agitated. "I attacked her too, and you're my enemy! You shouldn't be apologizing to me."

"No, I'm Adonis' enemy, and he's been taking advantage of you for the Architect knows how long. This isn't your fault and I refuse to blame you."

Poppi and Rafi had locked blades with Adonis, but even fighting he still turned to Pyra.

"QUIT TALKING TO THE ENEMY YOU USELESS MACHINE!" he shouted at her.

"Why do you let him treat you like that?!" I interrogated. "You don't have to take that!"

"He is my master, I do as he commands."

Adonis was suddenly in front of me and she shoved Pyra to the ground.

We all simultaneously stopped attacking, utterly shocked at this move.

He lifted his leg off the ground and slammed his boot into her skull, and then leaned into it as she began screaming in pain.

https/youtu.be/-OGmA3Nk-gU

"YOU WORTHLESS CREATION!" he shouted at her. "HOW DARE YOU MAKE ME LOOK LIKE A FOOL! I TOLD YOU TO SHUT THE FUCK UP YOU ARROGANT WHORE!"

Everyone stopped, looking completely stunned, Mythra even looked sick.

I felt something hit my leg, and I realized that Canaan had been trying to give something to me before he finally died.

I stopped to pick it up, it was an ether shield, and a really powerful one.

"E-End this… Please...," he cried out before he coughed up more blood and died at my feet.

Pyra was still screaming and Adonis wasn't letting up.

"I'VE GIVEN YOU LIFE AND A PURPOSE AND YOU'VE BEEN NOTHING BUT A MISERABLE FAILURE!"

Pyra now had tears streaming down her face as she kept screaming and gasping, yet she refused to ask for help.

A new form of rage tore through my body as my feet began charging.

"GET OFF OF HER!" I shouted as I shoved him hard enough to send him reeling back.

I took a stance in between them as the teal sword I had summoned a week ago appeared in my hand once more.

"HOW?!" I shouted. "HOW CAN YOU TREAT HER LIKE THIS?!"

"Silas…," Mythra uttered as she began approaching me.

I shook my head, telling her to stay back.

"She's risked everything for you, sacrificed everything for you! How can you treat her like this?!"

Pyra forced herself off the ground. "Stay out of this!" she said weakly.

I turned to face her. "Pyra, how can you not see this is wrong?! Look around, do you see anyone as scared as you?!"

She stopped. "What?! I'm his… I was made to serve… him!"

"That's titan dung and you know it!" I snapped, and tears began streaming down my face. "You don't deserve this! You clearly feel pain Pyra!"

"AND SO WHAT IF I DO?!" she screamed.

"MACHINES DON'T FEEL PAIN PYRA!" I screamed back. "WHAT CAN I DO TO MAKE YOU UNDERSTAND THAT YOU'RE MORE THAN WHAT HE TELLS YOU THAT YOU ARE?!"

"I follow his orders only!"

My sword disappeared and I pulled my ether pistol out, emptied out the clip to reveal an earth ether bullet in the clip, put it back in, cocked the gun, and put it in her hand.

She quickly aimed it at my head.

I carefully grabbed the gun and moved it down to my heart, letting her hold it.

"HAVE YOU LOST YOUR DAMN MIND?!" Acacia shouted.

I threw down the ether shield around Adonis, Pyra, and I, preventing anyone from interfering.

"You're a machine, right? Then do your job," I said simply.

"You can't be serious!" Pyra argued. "There has to be some trick!"

"Shoot him, Pyra," Adonis ordered. "Shoot him and I'll forgive you."

I looked her in her tear stained face. "A machine would've pulled the trigger already. What's the hesitation?"

"I…," Pyra stuttered out.

"Pyra listen to me," I said. "You can pull that trigger, and then you'll be nothing more than the machine he's made you believe you are."

"KILL HIM! WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!" Adonis shouted.

"Pyra this world can be so much to you, I can show you a better world! I can end the pain he's put you through! If you care about yourself at all, you can use that gun to end him and you'll never have to be in this pain ever again. Just please listen to me!"

Tears were streaming down her face. "I- I don't deserve happiness!"

"I think you do," I argued, pointing to Mythra. "And I guarantee you she does. I want you to be happy, what do you want?"

"What do I-?" Pyra said as she began crying even more.

"You want what I tell you to want," Adonis shouted. "And I want you to kill him once and for all!"

The teal sword appeared in my hand again as I turned around. "STAY OUT OF THIS!" I shouted at Adonis, letting my frustration get the best of me.

Before I could hit, my body lurched forward and I fell to the ground. I then looked at Pyra, trembling as smoke left the barrel.

"SILAS!" Mythra shrieked.

"YES!" Adonis shouted in glee. "FINISH HIM PYRA, IT'S WHAT YOU WANT!"

"What I want…," Pyra said as she looked at the gun. "What I want…."

We stood in shock as she held the pistol to her head.

"WHAT I WANT IS FOR THIS ALL TO END!" she screamed as she pulled the trigger.

A loud bang and a soft thud echoed out and everyone was left mortified.

I stood up, she hadn't actually shot me, she had the bullet graze my arm.

Adonis' face twisted into a sick smile as he began laughing hysterically, clapping even.

"Bravo, bravo!" he said. "What an impressive display! I had her so fooled that she legitimately thought she could kill herself!"

"You… heartless BASTARD!" I shouted as the teal sword appeared in my hand again and I went to slice him.

He dodged it as he continued laughing.

"Was her life… nothing more than a game to you?!" I cried out. "Did she mean anything to you?!"

"Listen kid," he replied. "Her existence is inconsequential, this whole world is. It's cruel and broken, and I want to destroy it all!"

"The only thing cruel and broken is you!" I retorted.

He stood across from me and held his arms wide. "Then why don't you end this now?!"

I held my sword up, ready to deliver the final blow, and I stood there, just like that.

"Can't do it?" he asked, before laughing again. "You can't even kill me?!"

I stood there, unable to swing my sword, unable to move, unable to think.

His laughter was swiftly replaced by anger. "YOU'RE USELESS!"

He grabbed his sword and stabbed it through my torso as my sword disappeared and I fell to my knees.

"Why can't I do it?" I thought to myself. "Why can't I kill him?!"

Did I not hate him? No, I despised him, but I couldn't force myself to kill him.

Adonis sighed. "This would be funny if it wasn't so pathetic, I hope you know you've lost."

Mythra jumped to the ether shield, trying to break through.

Adonis brought his sword up, and I prepared for the end.

I sat there on my knees, not blinking, not crying, not moving, this was it.

Or… so I had thought. A blast of fire shot through Adonis' torso, but it wasn't fire. It was… dark?

As Adonis fell to the ground, Pyra… or someone who looked like Pyra, stood behind him. It looked just like her, but her hair, eyes, and clothes were now black and purple, and her sword gave off dark ether.

"Pyra?" I questioned.

A voice that didn't sound like her at all answered from her mouth. "I am not Pyra, I am Mira."

Ether emanated from her with insane power and the ether shield surrounding us shattered like glass.

"Silas get out of there!" Acacia shouted, but I couldn't hear her and I drifted into unconsciousness.

...

https/youtu.be/UmnQXyiIFp4

"Silas get out of there!" I yelled at him, however he couldn't hear me.

I watched as the dark blade went to finish him, and I ran as fast as I could, but I couldn't reach him in time.

We all at once heard a loud, booming voice echo from all around us.

A bright light erupted from Silas' body as a figure, wrapped in pure teal light emerged from his body, throwing Mira down onto the ground.

Mira stood up quickly. "You've failed! Stay out of this!"

The figure shook its head. "Not yet, he still lives."

Mira seemed irritated. "The deal was that if I could beat your champion the world would be mine! What is this intervention?!"

"I said that if a creature of this world could defeat you, you would die. I will not allow you to end him before he can even control his power."

"STAY OUT OF THIS!" she yelled as she took her sword and slashed at him.

The being summoned a teal sword, just like the one Silas had used, and parried it, sending Mira flying backwards. We couldn't even see the impact, but the sound alone made us cover our ears.

"If I leave it alone, I demand payment!" she argued.

"What would you desire?" the being asked.

"Your blade will leave with me," she said.

The being sighed. "Very well, you may take Malos as well."

"What makes you think I'll join you so easily?" Malos questioned.

Mira smiled. "You cannot seriously tell me you care for this world. Don't you want to see it end as well?"

"Malos isn't like you!" I argued.

"Well if that's all you want, I'd be happy to oblige," Malos responded.

"WHAT?!" Mythra shouted.

"Sleep," the being said as Mythra immediately lost consciousness. "You are not to harm her or Malos until Silas no longer breathes."

"Very well," Mira agreed. "Until we meet again."

In the blink of an eye, the being and Mira, Malos, and Mythra all disappeared. Adonis was nowhere to be seen either, and Silas was left lying unconscious on the floor.

"What now?" Gabriel asked, genuinely unsure of what the hell just happened, but honestly neither had I.

"Poppi hope Waylon have plan," Poppi uttered.

"Let's get Silas, Canaan, and Finch," I decided. "We'll briefly return to Leftheria and lay them to rest. However with Adamas gone, Violet will soon act on her own. Let's get a plan."

"Acacia, there seems to be a flaw in your logic," KOS-MOS stated.

"And what's that?"

"The dark blade called Mira has successfully destroyed our ship."

Unfortunately, she was correct, our ship was completely incinerated.

"Now what?!" Rafi exclaimed.

"Don't suppose you could fix it?" Gabriel asked Rafi.

"Rafi great mechanic," Rafi said, staring at the pieces. "But Rafi no miracle worker."

"Then I suppose you could use a lift?" an unfamiliar voice stated.

"Poppi recognize that voice!" Poppi said excitedly as she returned to her alpha form.

The ground beneath us began to shake as a large titan stood up and looked at us.

"It can talk?" I questioned.

"Greetings," the titan said in a deep, rough voice. He sounded like an old man. "My name is Azurda, and I can get you out of here."

Azurda stood up and stretched himself out, showing his gigantic wings off. He looked like a massive dragon.

"What do we do?" Gabriel asked me.

I sighed. "If the giant talking dragon wants to get us out of here, I say let him. Let's move."

Without much questioning, we sat down on Azurda's back and he flew us out of Morytha.

I had wondered why I didn't ask him anything, especially considering I had plenty of questions. However, my mind couldn't even come up with a single question, I was honestly worried beyond belief. With every Aegis gone, I knew that the world was closer to disaster than what any of us were prepared for. The only question left in my brain was "What now?".

Readability Level: 9-10th Grade

Time Taken: 3 Hours


	67. Chapter LXVII

Book IX: Aegis

Chapter LXVII

She hadn't slept that night, and KOS-MOS had refused to leave her side. Even after Canaan and Finch's funeral, she still couldn't believe they were gone. How many more people needed to die? Of course, she'd have been a fool to expect no one to die, but it still didn't sit right with her.

Something else didn't sit right with her, either. Adonis had openly challenged them to a fight knowing he'd lose, so why bother? He had raised her like a father, and she'd never known him to give up. No, he wouldn't have fought them at all unless he had already accomplished his goal. That thought only worried her more.

The way Py- no, Mira stabbed him… she was sure that Adonis was dead, and yet she couldn't imagine him ever dying. Why was she so attached to him? He split her from her sister and acted right under her nose. She told him, "I don't want Violet involved." But he involved her anyways.

He had always been deceptive, and it bothered her even more that Violet attached herself to him even more than she had.

"Acacia, I recommend you seek rest as soon as possible. Tomorrow's objectives have yet to be assigned, thus the difficulty of these objectives are unknown," KOS-MOS suggested.

"Thank you KOS-MOS," Acacia agreed. "But I don't want to rest tonight, please go on without me."

KOS-MOS shook her head. "Commencing sleep mode, but I will remain here."

Acacia chuckled a bit as KOS-MOS rested her head on Acacia's shoulder.

"Am I a bad driver, KOS-MOS?" she asked.

"Running statistical analysis," KOS-MOS responded. "Efficiency between blade and driver eighty percent, morale between blade and driver seventy percent, effectiveness of blade and driver fight patterns are eighty-five percent."

"Seventy percent?"

KOS-MOS nodded. "Morale percentage is the highest it has ever been, and steadily improving. Analysis: You are doing the best you can, please continue to improve, I would like to be your blade."

Acacia let out a weak laugh. "I love you too, KOS-MOS."

KOS-MOS did go to sleep, and despite her best efforts, Acacia passed out as well.

...

Acacia woke up to the morning sun hitting her eyes, she had passed out on the grass, and KOS-MOS was next to her.

She stood up and looked around, noticing that she hadn't been the only one to fall asleep in a weird place. Poppi had fallen asleep next to the titan that had saved us, Azurda, with Rafi next to her. Sheba and Azami had fallen asleep next to Silas' bed, where he had still not woken up yet. He hadn't sustained any serious damage, so she wondered what was keeping him.

The only one unaccounted for was Gabriel, so Acacia decided to take a walk around. After asking some of the folks in town, she eventually found him next to Canaan's tombstone, passed out against it.

She decided it would be best not to leave him there, otherwise the townsfolk might think he was a creep. She gently shook him awake, to which he responded less than gracefully.

He sat up and looked around for a solid forty seconds, blinked really hard, and then looked at Acacia.

"You alright?" Acacia inquired.

He nodded. "I… didn't get the chance to tell him before he died, so I thought I'd stay with him for a bit. I… wanted him to know he was forgiven."

Acacia hugged him. "I think he knows, come on back with me. You need a shower."

He chuckled, trying to hide his tears.

Without saying much else, she brought him back to Nia's old house, where Silas was sleeping.

Eventually everyone made their way back in the house, and Acacia made lunch, as no one had woken up early.

Acacia did have the chance to finally talk to Azurda. Apparently he had been around for Mythra's first awakening and had been Addam's friend, on top of that he raised Rex and was there for Rex's entire adventure. He had been in hiding ever since Rex died, staying away from Alrest entirely, but Adonis had temporarily caught him about twenty years ago. He had brought Adonis to Morytha a few times before finally escaping, however he was eventually captured again and he had brought Adonis there for our battle. Acacia wondered what he was doing that made it necessary for him to come back at all, but he insisted it was to try and visit Silas.

Acacia decided to leave him alone on the matter, because she had her own issues she had to deal with, and she brought it up while everyone was eating.

"I'm taking KOS-MOS and leaving for a bit, I need to return to the BCCHQ," Acacia stated abruptly.

"Has Acacia lost her mind?!" Rafi asked.

"You must have a good reason," Gabriel interjected.

Acacia nodded. "Violet is no longer there, which means she's about to take action, the BCC knows Adonis is out of commission, and it would only make sense that Violet be left in charge. However there's no doubt in my mind that she's going to make any changes for the better. She's more inclined to violence, less patient, and crazier than him. I want to go find out what she's doing."

Sonata shook her head. "Ok, but what's the real reason?"

"Pardon?" Acacia questioned.

"You know what I mean," Sonata answered smugly. "Quit playing hard to get."

Acacia let out a sigh. "Fine, I also want a chance to see what I can find in Adonis' office on what I am."

"Then go," Gabriel said simply. "But don't do anything dangerous and come back to us, we'll be waiting and finding out what we can do to stop Malos."

"Thank you," Acacia responded.

Gabriel shook his head. "There's no need, you have a right to know what he did to you. If we need to leave in an emergency, we can ask Azurda to help us."

Poppi also seemed to understand, but Rafi seemed to be confused. He didn't understand, but I didn't need him to.

She left towards the titanless vessel with KOS-MOS close behind.

"The day the Crimson Butterfly wars against the Crimson Rose, history will change."

Those words echoed in her mind louder and clearer than ever. That was what she couldn't tell them, although Acacia didn't really know what it meant. However, she knew one thing for sure, a war was coming.

Readability Level: 11-12th Grade

Time Taken: 4 Hours


	68. Chapter LXVIII

Book IV: Aegis

Chapter LXVIII

It had been awhile since she had been in New Torna, that was in her thoughts as she wandered over to where they usually parked their titanless vessel. It then dawned on her that they no longer had a titanless vessel, it was destroyed in Morytha.

"Any objections to going by train?" she asked KOS-MOS.

"Negative."

So that's how we got back to New Torna. It was a long ride, but in the end she did leave the station into the town she had abandoned what felt like so long ago. Although, maybe calling it a town was underselling it a bit. This city was massive, bigger than any in the entirety of Alrest.

There was also a lot more commotion than usual, it seemed like everyone was nervously excited for something. She continued through all the shrieking crowds, ranging from laughing to angry yelling, until she finally saw what they were all excited for.

A large video screen up on the building was playing an official message from the BCC, and the face they chose was none other than Violet herself.

"Hello wonderful citizens of New Torna, I regret to inform you that Adonis isn't with us anymore. He was killed by the same murderous blades that plague our existences! The blade stolen by that lawbreaker months ago caused this mess, and now that I'm in charge, I'm going to fix it," she stated simply, before ending on a wink and a giggle. "Keep an eye on the news and don't forget to support me!"

I heard a mix of emotions through the crowd.

"They told us that was a weapon, didn't they?!"

"Apparently it was a blade the whole time!"

"Well she says she's gonna take care of it, so I hope we can believe her!"

"Wow she's really cute! Does she have Tirker account?"

"I'm already working on a cute fanart of her!"

"Oh make sure to post it!"

"I wonder what we should do?"

"We should help her! Let's make sure there aren't any drivers left in this town!"

"Yeah! No blades means no more people dying unnecessarily!"

Acacia couldn't believe what she was hearing, Violet really had them backing her. She even threw the blame off the BCC by calling Mythra a blade, which only pointed out that they lied, and they were still eating up her garbage.

Acacia headed over to the BCCHQ, being careful to hide KOS-MOS' core crystal. One thing she did notice, however, is that the BCCHQ was virtually empty. Something was definitely not sitting right with her.

However, one thing was for sure, she couldn't just waltz in through the front door, she doubted people had already forgotten who she was.

"KOS-MOS, any idea how to get to the top floor?" Acacia asked.

"Commencing structural analysis," she responded as she looked at the entirety of the building. "Results: hold tight."

"What are you-?!" Acacia started as KOS-MOS picked her up.

"Completing request," she "explained".

She squatted down for a sec and then jumped up to the top of the surrounding buildings, using the BCCHQ as a springboard.

"Woah!" she uttered out as KOS-MOS landed at the tallest building next to the BCCHQ.

KOS-MOS centered herself and began sprinting towards the building, much to Acacia's dismay.

"KOS-MOS I don't think this is necessary!" Acacia squealed in a panic as KOS-MOS launched herself upward and slammed herself through the top floor window, somehow not setting off any alarms.

"Alarm functions malfunctioned on this specific window, and no lifeforms are located on the upper twenty floors. This was the most efficient point of entry," KOS-MOS stated as she set Acacia down.

"A little warning next time would be nice," Acacia said with a sigh as she steadied herself and began looking around.

They were in Adonis' office, and surprisingly enough it had almost no decoration. White carpet, plenty of windows, decently tall, and one desk made of aluminum and glass with an ether computer sitting on top.

Acacia sat down and turned on the computer, and strangely enough, there was no password. After it finished loading in, there was only one icon on the desktop. It was labeled "Test_Subject_863_Crimson_Butterfly".

The entire security system was down on this floor and his computer had one file basically addressed to her. He knew she'd come, he'd wanted her to see this. Acacia decided that it was best that she pressed on, she wanted to know what she was.

"Ok Adonis, what do you have in store for me?" she questioned aloud as she opened the file.

...

https/youtu.be/9G9CPZ8Zd7k

"Listen up men!" Violet said as she addressed an entire army consisting of about one thousand soldiers. "Three hundred years ago, the Crimson Butterfly was born, and two hundred and ninety-five years ago, the Crimson Rose was born. Two months ago, I, the Crimson Rose, shattered the Crimson Butterfly, and now we will make history. The year is 4565, and this will be known as the year where history made its turning point!"

Far away, Acacia was reading the reports, taken aback.

"This can't be right, I can't possibly be that old!" she shouted at the computer.

"Apart from myself," Adonis had written. "A perfect Blade Eater has never existed. This girl is unlike any specimen I've ever seen. She becomes one with blades like nothing, making her the most perfect candidate to become a monster like me, and that fool Morag."

"TODAY!" Violet shouted as the soldiers began getting excited. "We use the power given to us by Adonis and we will bring the blade menace to its knees! Our former general sought to recreate the world where humans are supreme, where no one could have more power than another, where people could exist without the chains of the creation the Architect left us so many centuries ago!"

The core crystals of the humans adorned in armor began glowing in unison as they began cheering and shouting.

"I have created countless blade eaters, and this girl, and her sister, will rule them all," Acacia kept reading. "Once Waylon's power is found again, I will disappear, and they will destroy what resistance the world will have left. I have done my best to be a father to them so that they can be fueled by the fires of revenge, and this world will not be capable of standing up to them."

Acacia gasped, and then pounded her fist on the table. "I CRIED FOR YOU!"

"Acacia," KOS-MOS reacted in concern.

"He played us like a damn fiddle!" she said, tears welling in her eyes. "He told me… I'd never have to be alone anymore…. He told me he saw me as a daughter, he told me he'd keep my sister safe. When I joined Silas, it was because I thought he was lying to me, but I never once wanted to really hurt him, because it hurt me so much to see him disappointed."

"The algorithms I have been programmed with do not support the comprehension of illogical human thought," KOS-MOS stated. "You have fought against him for so long that the attachment seems illogical."

Acacia sighed. "I know, I didn't want to show that I cared about him to anyone, and so I didn't. But knowing now that every emotion I felt towards him was to further his plans, I don't know what to feel."

"Now march, men!," Violet continued. "We sit on the cusp of the Blade Assistance Program's HQ, so march down, and leave no crystal without a crack!"

As Acacia kept reading, she finally understood what she was. "Acacia Uzuki, the Crimson Butterfly, a blade eater with infinite capabilities, your only flaw is that while you use this power, you are incapable of retaining your mental composure. You won't even remember these experiments, and basic logic likely won't allow you to remember your missions, or your longevity."

Acacia gasped again as she read the reports of what she did for the first two hundred years of her existence. She had slaughtered a confirmed eight hundred drivers, and once people began understanding her power, she was put to sleep for ninety years. During this time, Adonis fabricated her already shattered memories so that when she woke up in her house on the day she received KOS-MOS, she hadn't even known that she wasn't always there.

Her entire existence was fake, and now that she knew this, her memory began to repair herself. The memories she had with her sister, those were real. She had left Violet all those years ago, and Violet worked with her in driver extermination, and she had gone to sleep with Acacia. Did Violet know about this as well?

Sadly, Acacia was sure that Violet knew, but she wouldn't care. Adonis wrote that down as well.

"The Crimson Rose is infatuated with me, and has a natural hatred for the Crimson Butterfly. I know that at the very least, I can use her hatred against her, and she will be more loyal than the Butterfly ever could be. Her lack of morals make her easy to mold, and even if she read this she would do what I told her to anyway just to end her sister. However, the day the Crimson Butterfly wars against the Crimson Rose, history will change."

Acacia took a deep breath and a katana, her katana, appeared in her hand.

Violet pointed towards the BAPHQ. "Now men! On this day, people will regard us as the heroes that ended blade existence! TODAY WILL BE KNOWN AS THE GREAT BLADE MASSACRE!"

"I am part blade, but I'm also only human," Acacia said aloud. "I know what I am, and now we will settle this once and for all. KOS-MOS, take me to the roof, Adonis' ship, the Monoceros is waiting for us."

KOS-MOS and Acacia went up a ladder that led to the roof, and sure enough, a large, titanless vessel was waiting there for them.

"I'm coming sis," Acacia said aloud.

Half a continent away, surrounded by soldiers, Violet smiled.

"I know, now hurry up, history's waiting to be changed."

Readability Level: 11-12th Grade

Time Taken: 2.5 Hours


	69. Chapter LXIX

Mid-Book Finale:

The Great Blade Massacre of 4565

Chapter LXIX

"Give me the rundown, one more time, and make it quick," Violet snapped at her lead intelligence representative.

"W-Well, i-it's simple really," he stuttered out nervously. "Th-The bl-"

She stood up, grabbed him, and kissed him square on the mouth. Much to everyone's dismay, of course.

He took a deep breath after she stopped, unsure of what to do.

"All relaxed?" she questioned, to which he nodded. "Good. Try again."

He let out a sigh. "Yes ma'am, five hundred years ago, there were thousands of blades. However, with blades unable to become titans due to the Architect's creation of Elysium, their numbers have dwindled. We assess that there are approximately one thousand blades still in existence, and the BAP has registered all of them. As of right now, the blades are all on recall to the HQ with one of their leader's deaths. Our scouts have compiled that approximately eight hundred blades currently reside within the city right now, and their retreat point will be Fonsa Myma."

"You're cute when you speak confidently," Violet giggled out as her expression shifted into a more serious expression. "Let's move boys, cut off their retreat point and don't let a single one leave without a crack in their crystal."

And with that, all of the men stood up and marched on the BAPHQ.

...

https/youtu.be/Wc8Qz4zeL70

"Time to have fun!" Violet shouted as she set one of the barracks on fire.

Alarms began being raised everywhere as blades everywhere were woken violently from their sleep, though only the lucky ones woke up at all.

Screams pierced the air as Aegaeon himself stormed out of his building.

"Sir!" a blade said in a panic as he rushed towards his room. "The BAPHQ is being attacked, we're completely surrounded!"

"Order a full-scale retreat, get to Fonsa Myma!" Aegaeon commanded.

The blade shook his head. "They've blocked off our retreat, we're sitting ducks!"

"I see," Aegaeon understood as the scale of what was happening began to dawn on him. "We have no organization, everyone, group up as much as you can and fight their way out. We are at war."

Violet forced her sword into another blade's core crystal, shattering it completely.

"That one was rather busty," T-Elos said with a smirk.

Violet laughed, "You should've seen the fat one a soldier cracked earlier, too busy gorging himself to even notice."

"Helios Trinity, there she is, engage!" a blade holding two swords commanded.

A dark blade and an earth blade both looked at Violet.

"We have to help!" a girl's voice stated.

Violet looked behind her to see another set of three blades behind her.

"Mighty Band of Misfits, don't hold back!" Floren shouted.

"Floren, get out of here!" Corvin, the leader of the Helios Trinity, shouted.

He shook his head. "This is our home too, if you're fighting, so are we."

"Boys, boys!" Violet interjected. "I've definitely taken six men at once before, you and your pipsqueaks should move along, or come all at once. Either way, you're all dead."

"While I don't typically do this," Perceval, the dark blade and powerful member of the Helios Trinity, started. "I see no reason to let you live. Your judgement is upon you!"

"That's more like it!" Violet giggled as she readied her blade and crossed with him.

Corvin jumped in and began fighting as well, and Floren tried to step in, but T-Elos began fighting them herself.

Floren slammed his ether ball at T-Elos, who deflected it with her massive scythe, but Electra tossed Floren her shield hammer as he knocked her off balance. Nim, the earth blade, slid behind T-Elos and used her knuckle claws to slam her in the back of her head.

"You can use each other's weapons?!" Agate reacted in shock.

"You can't?" Floren questioned.

"Focus!" Corvin ordered as he slammed into T-Elos, who was about to get a clean hit on Electra.

"My apologies," Agate said simply as she readied her great axe. "Heliodor Passion."

She tossed her great axe and it spun into Violet, who knocked it out of the air and slammed it back into her. It stuck inside Agate's leg and she fell down with a scream.

Electra threw Floren back his ball and he healed Agate immediately.

"Grim Moon," Perceval uttered as he became surrounded in dark ether.

With a quick draw of his sword, he unleashed a flurry of slashes towards Violet.

Violet grinned as she parried them all with ease before she slammed her sword down into Perceval's blade, shattering it into pieces.

She went for the finishing move before Corvin jumped in, blocking it with both of his swords.

"Let me show you why I'm the leader of the greatest blade squad in the BAP," he said through gritted teeth.

"I'm waiting with baited breath," Violet responded nonchalantly.

"GET OUT OF THERE!" another voice said, and soon, Violet was knocked off balance.

"Aegaeon!" Electra shouted.

"Leave now!" Aegaeon warned. "I will hold her off."

"But… sir," Corvin started to argue.

"That's an order," Aegaeon said again. "Other blades need your help."

Corvin let out a sigh. "Very well, Helios Trinity, withdraw.'

"Misfits, move!" Floren echoed as they all left together.

"You the leader?" Violet asked nonchalantly.

Aegaeon ignored her, and began talking to himself.

"I failed you, Morag, and there's no telling how many of my drivers I have failed. So right now, in this moment, I will not fail, I only hope it will be enough," Aegaeon swore.

"Oh great, a self important type," Violet whined as she rolled her eyes. "Oh well, die like the rest."

"Midnight Mist," he roared as Violet was surrounded in waves of blade slashes.

"Breaking wave," he rushed as he flew down out of the air and kicked her down, following up with a series of slashes.

T-Elos jumped in immediately, and Aegaeon narrowly dodged her onslaught before he retaliated once again.

"Water Moon," he let those words flow from his lips as he drew his sword once again, using a large amount of water ether to blow T-Elos down.

"Ma'am!" a soldier interrupted. "They're using a secret exit to get to Fonsa Myma!"

Aegaeon let out a laugh, "Then I've succeeded."

Violet seemed less than pleased. "Follow them, don't let them make it that far!"

He nodded and left, issuing orders.

Violet turned toward Aegaeon and before he could make another move, she drove her blade through his core crystal, and he fell to the ground.

...

Acacia rushed into the HQ, but there were fires and screams everywhere. A few of the soldiers tried to cut her down, but she simply caught the blades and shattered them with her hand as she kept walking.

She was horrified by the amount of bloodshed happening around her, but it was apparent she was too late to stop anymore of it from happening.

She entered the center of the town where she saw her sister dealing with troops, she didn't look too happy.

"I guess your plan didn't work as flawlessly as you hoped," Acacia quipped.

"It's all thanks to that damn water blade too," Violet groaned as she turned towards Acacia.

Acacia stopped talking, and simply looked at her sister.

Violet let out a sigh, "I guess you're actually ready this time?"

Acacia summoned her crimson colored blade and nodded.

Violet almost seemed… excited as she summoned her black-colored blade.

https/youtu.be/kvVK7bZvOGo

"Everyone is to withdraw, we'll speak later," Violet commanded as her troops left.

"Ready yourself KOS-MOS," Acacia ordered. "I can't do this without you."

"Affirmative," KOS-MOS responded. "Chance of success is fifty percent."

Acacia smiled, "I like those odds."

"I'm with you to the end, my lady," T-Elos said to Violet.

"Good, let's pull the wings off of this butterfly," she giggled out.

"She's approaching!" Acacia warned as she held her sword and rushed forward.

Faster than anyone could see, Acacia and Violet met ferociously, weaving around each other as their blades made loud booms with each hit. The buildings around them began falling apart around the sheer force.

"Petals of Pain!" Violet forced out as she shot out an array of ether rose petals.

"Wings of Blood!" Acacia shouted as she fluttered upwards, blocking the petals with a butterfly wing-shaped shield.

KOS-MOS threw her ether cannon up to Acacia with incredible accuracy as Acacia threw her sword down to KOS-MOS.

"Pulse Fire!" Acacia shouted as she shot Violet with a pulse of light.

KOS-MOS grabbed Acacia's sword and she ran it through T-Elos before she could react.

"You finally understand, I am part of you, Acacia. Keep fighting, we can win together," a voice Acacia hadn't heard since the night she took on Violet previously.

"KOS-MOS-" Acacia said in realization. The core crystal that Acacia had inside her, it was KOS-MOS.

KOS-MOS slashed the sword out of T-Elos and switched weapons with Acacia again.

Violet seemed none too pleased as she slashed at Acacia again, who narrowly dodged the slash and retaliated with her own slash.

"Scarlet Swarm!" she yelled as a massive swarm of ether butterflies forced their way toward Violet.

T-Elos attempted to protect her, but KOS-MOS stopped her by slashing at her with her R-Blade.

"Get out of my way!" T-Elos shouted as she ejected her own R-Blade and they began fighting each other full force.

"ECHIDNA!" T-Elos shrieked as she slashed KOS-MOS' ether cannon with her scythe and then swung around, kicking KOS-MOS square in the face.

KOS-MOS was launched backwards, but regained her footing quickly, reengaging immediately.

"F-G-Shot," she vocalized as she shot out a barrage of laser beams.

T-Elos jumped ridiculously high in the air, dodging all of the beams.

"MAGDALENE 16," she uttered as she crashed into KOS-MOS, followed by multiple point blank shots.

KOS-MOS grabbed her leg and tossed her into a wall as she stood up.

Violet emerged from the ether swarm more pissed off than hurt, but definitely winded.

"You don't have the right to beat me here!" she screamed as she slammed back into Acacia again.

"Then quit letting me win!" Acacia retorted.

They crossed blades once again, but at an even greater force than they had been clashing at previously.

"You left me, abandoned me, and then once we were together again, you betrayed me. WHY DO YOU HATE ME SO MUCH?!" Violet shrieked as she slashed out an enormous wave of pure dark ether.

Acacia was launched backwards. KOS-MOS reacted quickly, launching herself upwards and breaking Acacia's fall.

Violet had tears streaming down her face. "'We won't be separated ever again! You deserve better! Forget about the pain we went through, we'll face it together!' What happened to that?!"

Acacia took a deep breath. "Don't lose composure," she said to herself as she reengaged Violet.

"IT DOESN'T MATTER!" Violet continued. "I'll kill you, and then I'll die right next to you."

Hearing those words irked Acacia, and Violet took the opportunity to attack.

KOS-MOS jumped in-between them, throwing up an ether shield at the last second, saving Acacia from the hit.

"Are you alright KOS-MOS?" Acacia asked, but KOS-MOS got up immediately and reengaged T-Elos.

There was no point in seeing reason, Acacia knew that Violet was very close to dying. She refused to let herself heal, and the physical, mental, and emotional pain that she constantly reopened and let resurface had eaten her away to her core. The only reason she still lived to this day was that core crystal somewhere inside her. After this fight, whether Acacia lived or died, Violet would die. And if her own pain didn't kill her, she'd kill herself.

Violet tore off her shirt, once again revealing all of the scars she had reopened again and again, and they looked infected.

"When Donny put us to sleep, these wounds healed into ugly scars after one hundred years. I made sure to reopen them every day after that. Oh and let me tell you… the first time hurt… but still not nearly as much as the day you told me you had a new job."

"Violet stop!" Acacia cried out.

"'Live your own life Violet, but get far away from me. I don't want to be a burden to you any longer.'," she restated. "You were so selfish!"

Violet rushed towards her sister again, and Acacia met her blade all over again.

"Didn't you see me cry?! Did you not hear me beg you not to leave?!" Violet continued.

Acacia pushed her back, "VIOLET WE WERE STILL KIDS! HOW ON ALREST DID YOU EXPECT ME TO TAKE CARE OF YOU, YOUR BURDENS, AND MY OWN?!"

"TOGETHER, LIKE YOU PROMISED!" Violet shrieked back. "Leaves of Suffering!"

Ether vines began wrapping around Acacia and the thorns began penetrating her body.

"KOS-MOS!" Acacia cried out.

KOS-MOS was still stuck in battle with T-Elos, who was not about to let her go help.

"H-Effect R," KOS-MOS vocalized as a large aura shot around her, throwing T-Elos to the ground and absorbing ether from her, she then used it to heal Acacia.

Acacia took the energy and slashed upwards, breaking out of the ether vines and launching Violet backwards.

"I thought we would take on the world, just you and I. You gave me hope where I had none, and then you left without even saying goodbye. You looked at me and walked away," she muttered. "What did I do to deserve that?"

Acacia decided that she had had enough, she had to end this.

"Scarlet Swarm!" she yelled as another swarm of ether butterflies berated Violet.

KOS-MOS landed a kick onto T-Elos, forcing her to the ground. In one fell swoop, KOS-MOS pointed her ether cannon at T-Elos and fired a powershot point blank, causing T-Elos to black out, but KOS-MOS wasn't strong enough to force her back into her core crystal.

KOS-MOS retreated behind Acacia, and Violet was left kneeling on the ground. Her wounds had all reopened during that last attack and she was too weak to stand.

https/youtu.be/Lrm7uTvsyPk

"KOS-MOS, fire the finishing blow," Acacia ordered.

However, KOS-MOS did nothing.

"KOS-MOS, what are you waiting for? That was an order!"

"Are you sure?" KOS-MOS asked.

"What do you mean?" Acacia questioned as T-Elos sat up, still too dazed to start attacking again. "Take the shot!"

KOS-MOS shook her head. "Order not received. Reason for error, driver is conflicted."

Acacia sighed. KOS-MOS was right, she didn't want Violet to die, that was her sister.

"KOS-MOS no! We have to, this is the only way it can end."

"LEAVE HER ALONE!" T-Elos shouted.

We turned to see a bright red ball of pure ether energy hovering over T-Elos.

"U-TENERITAS," she announced as she launched it at us.

Acacia readied her sword and slashed the ether out of the air.

"KOS-MOS, we don't have any time, you have your orders!" Acacia argued.

"I cannot recall the order, please repeat it," KOS-MOS responded.

Acacia whimpered. She wanted to say "KOS-MOS, end my sister's life.", but she couldn't.

"Blades cannot remember the friends they have or even the effect that they make on history. This is a gift only possessed by humans," KOS-MOS explained. "If you're so determined to forget those memories and end it all, then I will gladly accept those orders. However, you must be absolutely certain that you want me to carry out the order to kill, this cannot be a split decision made in the heat of battle, and you cannot undo this command."

"Having trouble with your blade, Acacia?" Violet forced out as she stood up once again. "You could just do it yourself, you wouldn't even be acting out of character! You've hated me for a long time, haven't you?"

"Violet stop!" Acacia cried out. "She's not doing it because she knows I don't want you to die!"

"Oh," Violet said. "Too little too late, isn't it?! You made your choice a long time ago."

"I'm sorry for the way I treated you, I was selfish and wrong," Acacia started out.

"SORRY?! YOU'RE SORRY?!" Violet shrieked as tears began flowing once again. "I'M COVERED IN BLOOD AND SCARS BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO LIVE WITHOUT YOU AND YOU'RE SORRY?!"

Acacia didn't know how to respond.

"You're about three hundred years late for an 'I'm sorry' wouldn't you say?" she asked. "Fuck it."

Violet grabbed her sword and cut it into her own arm, watching as the blood came gushing out.

"VIOLET STOP!" Acacia shouted.

"This is on you, Acacia," Violet responded, calmly. "If you can't end this, if we can't be together in death, then I'll die as I lived, slowly, cold, and alone."

"Stop hurting yourself over me!" Acacia retorted.

"You weren't there to see how I let people abuse me," Violet argued once again. "As long as I could cover the scar, I didn't care what they did to me. I've been hurting myself over you my entire life."

"KOS-MOS stop her!"

"What is your command?" KOS-MOS asked again.

"If you want me dead so much, do it yourself," Violet said simply. "I don't know why you need her to do it."

She finished cutting up one arm and moved to the other.

She was right, Acacia couldn't do it herself, it hurt her too much, but not nearly as much as it hurt Violet. She wasn't strong enough, but maybe it was time for her to get stronger. She didn't want to kill Violet, but she couldn't stand there and watch Violet tear herself to pieces.

Their "father" had beat them and abused them and used them for money their entire life, and Acacia had been the one to put an end to it. She killed him so they could run away, and they did. They ended up in a big city that neither of them understood, and neither of them knew how to move on with their life. Acacia had been so distraught that she found comfort in a total stranger who promised her a way out. Acacia abandoned her sister, and from then on she couldn't even look her in the eye. This was her mess, and even though it felt like putting down a whimpering puppy, she couldn't stand by any longer.

"KOS-MOS, final order, kill Violet Uzuki, my sister," Acacia commanded.

"Acknowledged," KOS-MOS responded as four prongs surrounded her in the shape of an "x" and a bright laser began incinerating everything in front of her.

"NO!" T-Elos screamed as her driver disappeared in a bright light.

Acacia choked on her tears as the light faded away and her sister, now charred and black, laid there on the ground.

Acacia cried as she ran towards her sister's body, clutching onto it for dear life.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm so so so sorry! I love you so so much, more than I could ever admit!" Acacia said as she buried her face in her sister's bosom.

"W-We didn't die together," Violet said, almost inaudibly. "B-But this is close enough. I love you… s.i..s…."

Her sister died in her arms and Acacia was left there crying.

https/youtu.be/ClXevG1RkN8

T-Elos began shimmering a bright blue as she began to return to her core crystal, but she somehow kept herself from doing so as she began to shriek in pain.

"YOU!" she yelled as she pointed at Acacia. "HOW COULD YOU?! YOU LEFT HER, KILLER HER, AND THEN HAD THE GALL TO STILL TELL HER YOU LOVED HER?!"

"I can't explain to you how I feel!" Acacia argued. "It's complicated between us, we knew this was coming!"

T-Elos grabbed her scythe and lunged at me, but KOS-MOS intervened and deflected it with her ether cannon.

T-Elos screamed again as her core crystal kept trying to draw her in, but she still fought it.

"FIND A WAY TO EXPLAIN IT THEN!" T-Elos cried out. "I WANT TO KNOW HOW YOU COULD POSSIBLY CLAIM TO LOVE HER!"

"I can't, but she was my sister. We suffered together and we grew up together, I cared about her, I really did! I didn't want this, and neither did she! But we were both so hurt in our own ways we didn't know how to deal with it other than through what we were trained to do."

T-Elos, in a fit of rage, shoved KOS-MOS to the ground and she grabbed Acacia by the neck.

"Then show me."

"What?"

"In a few moments, I'll be in my crystal. I want you to resonate with me, and then I want you to show me the love you claim to have for your sister. I… want to receive that same love."

Acacia whimpered a bit before hugging T-Elos as tightly as possible.

"I promise," Acacia said. "With every fiber of my being, I will show you every bit of love that I had for her and the love I failed to show her. I will be your driver."

T-Elos' eyes filled with tears.

"Y-You'd better," she choked out before she disappeared into her crystal, and KOS-MOS caught her crystal before it hit the ground.

"Are you ok, Acacia?" KOS-MOS asked.

"No," she answered. "I'm not, and I won't be for awhile. It's just like Nia said. It's gonna sting, for a long time, but I know this will make me stronger."

"Like a muscle?" KOS-MOS questioned further.

"Yeah, I guess," Acacia confirmed, although she couldn't help but realize how human KOS-MOS sounded, and how weird her analogies were.

"I will follow you wherever you go, and I will also help in showing T-Elos this sisterly love."

"Thank you KOS-MOS," Acacia said, but she realized that she had other things to do. "Come on, let's get back to the others. I still gotta whack Malos on the head a few times."

"Understood," KOS-MOS acknowledged.

Before they left, KOS-MOS incinerated Violet's body, and Acacia ate a spoonful of them before letting the rest fly in the wind.

"I wasn't there for you for so long, and even when you wanted me dead, you only wanted me that way so you could die with me. Now a part of you will always be inside me. Rest in peace, Violet."

History had indeed changed, five hundred blades had been shattered that day, however history hadn't finished changing yet. Although there was plenty of sorrow yet to come, no one would ever forget the Great Blade Massacre of 4565.

Readability Level: 11-12th Grade

Time Taken: 4.75 Hours


End file.
